IT & Telecoms

Well-educated IT graduates and low operational costs mean that Jordan is emerging as a key regional IT centre. Indeed, part of the country’s appeal for foreign ICT firms looking to relocate is its workforce, which tends to relatively inexpensive. Moreover, driven by new technologies, rapidly rising domestic internet penetration is boosting the segment. In 2011 a rapid uptake of mobile broadband helped contribute to a significant increase in access to the internet. Information and communications technology has, in turn, become a key element of the economy, accounting for 14% of GDP. Going forward, planned regulatory changes are set to boost the domestic market as the kingdom cements its reputation as a regional centre for content and software development. This chapter includes interviews with Basem Rousan, Minister of Information and Communications Technology; Abdelmajeed Shamlawi, CEO of the Information and Communications Technology Association of Jordan; Usama Fayyad, Executive Chairman of OASIS 500; and John Chambers, Chairman and CEO of Cisco.