Jordanian IT firms embrace AI with 63% incorporating the technology: study 

These trends signify the eagerness of the nation’s businesses to leverage big data for a deeper understanding of the market, elevate customer experience, and make decisions based on accurate and analyzed information. Shutterstock
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Updated 11 February 2024
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Jordanian IT firms embrace AI with 63% incorporating the technology: study 

RIYADH: Jordanian information technology companies are embracing artificial intelligence, with up to 63 percent incorporating AI into their products and services, according to a recent study.   

The report, released by the Information and Communications Technology Association of Jordan, revealed that 42 percent of companies in the country are interested in integrating data analysis tools and techniques into their products, the Jordan News Agency reported.   

These trends signify the eagerness of the nation’s businesses to leverage big data for a deeper understanding of the market, elevate customer experience, and make decisions based on accurate and analyzed information.   

They also underscore the high dynamism of the Jordanian IT sector, confirming its key role in supporting innovation and economic growth in the Middle Eastern country.   

Companies are placing significant emphasis on integrating AI to enhance their capabilities across various departments, as highlighted by Nidal Bitar, the CEO of the association.    

Consequently, this strategic focus is expected to assist the firms in enhancing their services and efficiently developing new products that align with market needs, as explained by Bitar.

Moreover, the CEO highlighted that the study disclosed that 36 percent of entities had prioritized cybersecurity, reflecting the growing awareness of the importance of protecting data and systems from cyberattacks, especially in light of the significant digital transformation.

He highlighted that the study showed that in response to the growing market demand after the expansion of the use of fifth-generation networks, 19 percent of companies are working on developing products and services based on the Internet of Things.

In October 2023, the Aqaba Digital Hub announced that it would launch the largest data center in Jordan by the end of 2023.

The new data center, which has a capacity of 6 megawatts, had been linked to a neutral internet exchange point, allowing data interchange with local telecommunications firms, internet service providers, and digital content providers. This shortens access times and lowers the cost of data sharing, Jordan News Agency reported at the time.   

The project aimed to create a secure platform for sensitive data in accordance with international standards, serving as a primary information center and a backup center for business continuity and disaster recovery.

This came as Jordan had emerged as a key global center and distribution point for submarine cables connecting Europe and India, thanks to the flexible legislation regulating the communications sector, ADH CEO Eyad Abu Khorma said at the time.


Lebanese social entrepreneur Omar Itani recognized by Schwab Foundation

Updated 23 January 2026
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Lebanese social entrepreneur Omar Itani recognized by Schwab Foundation

  • FabricAID co-founder among 21 global recipients recognized for social innovation

DAVOS: Lebanon’s Omar Itani is one of 21 recipients of the Social Entrepreneurs and Innovators of the Year Award by the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship.

Itani is the co-founder of social enterprise FabricAID, which aims to “eradicate symptoms of poverty” by collecting and sanitizing secondhand clothing before placing items in stores in “extremely marginalized areas,” he told Arab News on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

With prices ranging from $0.25 to $4, the goal is for people to have a “dignified shopping experience” at affordable prices, he added.

FabricAID operates a network of clothing collection bins across key locations in Lebanon and Jordan, allowing people to donate pre-loved items. The garments are cleaned and sorted before being sold through the organization’s stores, while items that cannot be resold due to damage or heavy wear are repurposed for other uses, including corporate merchandise.

Since its launch, FabricAID has sold more than 1 million items, reached 200,000 beneficiaries and is preparing to expand into the Egyptian market.

Amid uncertainty in the Middle East, Itani advised young entrepreneurs to reframe challenges as opportunities.

“In Lebanon and the Arab world, we complain a lot,” he said. Understandably so, as “there are a lot of issues” in the region, resulting in people feeling frustrated and wanting to move away. But, he added, “a good portion of the challenges” facing the Middle East are “great economic and commercial opportunities.”

Over the past year, social innovators raised a combined $970 million in funding and secured a further $89 million in non-cash contributions, according to the Schwab Foundation’s recent report, “Built to Last: Social Innovation in Transition.”

This is particularly significant in an environment of geopolitical uncertainty and at a time when 82 percent report being affected by shrinking resources, triggering delays in program rollout (70 percent) and disruptions to scaling plans (72 percent).

Francois Bonnici, director of the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship and a member of the World Economic Forum’s Executive Committee, said: “The next decade must move the models of social innovation decisively from the margins to the mainstream, transforming not only markets but mindsets.”

Award recipients take part in a structured three-year engagement with the Schwab Foundation, after which they join its global network as lifelong members. The program connects social entrepreneurs with international peers, collaborative initiatives, and capacity-building support aimed at strengthening and scaling their work.