Jordan’s Digital Economy at a Crossroads: From REACH2025 to the AI Strategy Era

Jordan has been building toward a digital economy since 2000, when the original REACH Initiative laid the groundwork for what would become one of the Middle East’s most ambitious technology strategies. Here’s a concise history, the current state of play, and why the next three years represent the biggest window of opportunity for AI careers in Jordan.

REACH2025 launched in 2016, building on 16 years of prior digital infrastructure investment. Its vision: “Jordan as a platform for digital innovation.” Key targets included developing specialized ICT talent pipelines, digitizing healthcare, education, and finance, and establishing Jordan as a leader in Arabic digital content. The initiative was co-created by the Ministry of ICT, int@j, and the private sector with USAID support. Its principles have since been integrated into the broader Economic Modernization Vision 2023–2033.

The National AI Strategy 2023–2027 now carries the torch. It comprises 68 projects across five strategic objectives, with targets including training 15,000 individuals in AI skills, launching 50 new AI startups, and achieving a 30 percent increase in AI research output. Jordan is one of only 35 percent of countries globally to have both an AI strategy and an AI ethics charter — a distinction noted by Oxford Insights.

For your career, this means government contracts and procurement will increasingly require AI skills. iPARK, MoDEE, and ISSF are funding AI startups, creating a wave of new roles. Public sector AI deployments are generating demand for ML engineers, data analysts, and project managers with AI literacy. International companies are watching Jordan’s strategy signals closely. STEADYWRK helps you position for these opportunities. Learn how at steadywrk.app.