A Jordanian Roadmap to the Future...
Will the Government Seize this Opportunity?
AMMAN - His
Royal Highness Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II set out a clear roadmap
that can create a transformative shift in Jordan’s reality and the lives of
Jordanians. In his remarks during the launch of the ‘Tawasul Forum 2025’, HRH the
Prince highlighted the vital role of technology in improving services offered to
citizens and its essential contribution to supporting and advancing economies.
In a
speech that affirmed the importance of knowledge, creativity, and innovation,
as well as the effective role of utilizing technology and Artificial
Intelligence can play in education, His Royal Highness stated, “We must be
honest with ourselves and point out weaknesses and shortcomings, and make up
for years lost to hesitation and delay. We must not dwell too long in
discussing ideas, for building the future starts today, and ideas must be
tested, applied, developed, and implemented in the real world,” HRH the Prince
said.
While listening
to the Crown Prince's speech, which should energize and awaken our government,
I recalled hundreds of articles, speeches, and statements made by Chairman and
Founder of Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Global Digital (TAG.GD), HE Dr. Talal
Abu-Ghazaleh, concerning the importance of digital transformation in various
fields and the necessity of focusing on stimulating creativity and innovation
among students. Unfortunately, his insights have yet to be fully embraced or
acted upon by successive governments.
In this
context, it’s essential to mention one of the important publications that every
researcher and seeker of understanding and change has to look for, “Because
I Love the Truth – 2025 Edition” book by Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh. This edition
includes dozens of articles addressing digital transformation, artificial
intelligence, and the most pressing critical issues.
In his book,
Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh asserts the truth that "Any economy seeking a place in
our inevitable future must prioritize investing in its digital infrastructure
and capacities, and develop them. As Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh says, ‘Those that control
technology will control the world”, stressing that, “Time will never come back.
We have only two choices: either to innovate or perish.”
Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh
also affirmed that “digital transformation” is an inevitable phenomenon that
must be embraced, starting with creating a new educational system based on
technology, knowledge, and stimulating creativity and innovation among
students. “AI-equipped schools are not a distant dream; they are our present
and future,” Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh stated in his book.
In this context,
I would like to refer to Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh’s comprehensive educational reform
plan in Jordan, aimed at graduating students capable of mastering creativity, and
establishing knowledge-based startups that create wealth, rather than seekers
of traditional jobs. He further devoted the full support of TAG.GD to implementing
this vision.
Returning to
the Crown Prince’s remarks, we must be grateful for having a wise forward-looking
Hashemite King and a trustworthy Crown Prince who guide the government toward fulfilling
its responsibilities and duties. Finally, we call upon our government to
translate the visions of His Majesty King Abdullah II Ibn Al-Hussein and HRH the
Crown Prince into actionable plans.
By Ihsan Tamimi