Telecoms & IT

ICT is one of Jordan’s fastest growing industries and penetration rates for internet and mobile phones remain high. Strong growth was recorded in 2013 in data services and smartphone sales, with 38% of the country’s mobile phone users owning a smartphone. The tech start-up sector is a leader in the Middle East but, while Jordan has been able to produce a large, skilled IT workforce, it has faced a problem of brain drain to more lucrative markets in the past. In an effort to combat this, on-the-job training initiatives and government subsidised-programmes have been put in place to help retain the local IT workforce. Moreover, the success of tech start-ups like social media platform Sowt is encouraging many young IT professionals to put their skills to use at home

This chapter contains an interview with Azzam Sleit, Minister of Information, Communications and Technologies.