Amman — Information technology sector representatives said Jordan’s progress in the Global Innovation Index reflects the cumulative results of investment in human capital, the development of digital infrastructure, the growth of technology companies and the expansion of knowledge production.
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Speaking to the Jordan News Agency (Petra), they said Jordan’s advancement in the Global Innovation Index is an achievement worthy of recognition and reflects the country’s strong pool of scientific and research talent.
Jordan made significant progress in the 2026 Global Innovation Index, ranking 60th globally out of 139 economies and fifth in the Arab world, continuing its improving performance in the index.
According to the Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship, Jordan advanced five places in one year, from 65th in 2025, and 13 places over two years, compared with 73rd in 2024. Overall, Jordan has climbed 26 places since 2019, when it ranked 86th globally.
By reaching 60th place, Jordan has surpassed the target set for the index, which called for reaching 63rd globally by the end of the Economic Modernization Vision’s implementation period in 2033. The Kingdom exceeded the target by three places, seven years ahead of schedule.
At the Arab level, Jordan ranked fifth after the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Morocco.
Jordan’s progress was not limited to its overall ranking. The 2026 Global Innovation Index report highlighted the Kingdom among the economies that have made the strongest sustained progress in the index since 2019, while also entering the list of the world’s top 60 economies through a path increasingly driven by knowledge.
Jordan ranked first globally in the scientific and technical articles indicator. The World Intellectual Property Organization also classified Jordan among economies whose innovation performance is higher than expected given their level of economic development.
The progress comes amid growing national efforts to strengthen the technology and innovation ecosystem, under the supervision of the National Council for Future Technology, chaired by Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah II. The council’s work supports national efforts to adopt future technologies, promote innovation and entrepreneurship, and strengthen partnerships with the private sector.
Within this framework, the Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship monitors Jordan’s performance in the Global Innovation Index and prepares and implements its improvement plan in cooperation and coordination with relevant national partners, as part of the programs and targets of the Economic Modernization Vision.
The Cabinet had approved the final version of the revised plan to improve the Kingdom’s performance in the index and circulated it to the relevant entities and institutions to implement the required measures according to their respective mandates. The plan aims to strengthen national efforts to develop the innovation environment and improve Jordan’s competitiveness in international rankings.
Nidal Al-Bitar, CEO of the Information and Communications Technology Association of Jordan (int@j), said the Kingdom’s progress in the Global Innovation Index reflects the cumulative results of investment in human capital, digital infrastructure development, technology companies and knowledge production.
He said the foundation for this trajectory goes back to King Abdullah II’s vision and directives to place information technology among the priorities of the national economy. This was followed by the development of the REACH initiative in 1999 and the establishment of the Information and Communications Technology Association of Jordan in 2000.
These efforts helped establish a partnership between the government and private sector, allowing work to focus on companies’ needs, develop policies and incentives supporting their growth, and build a sector capable of exporting knowledge and services while creating opportunities for Jordanian talent.
Al-Bitar added that Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah II’s interest in and follow-up of the National Council for Future Technology gave the approach additional implementation momentum by coordinating national efforts and accelerating digital projects.
These projects include the “Siraj” smart educational assistant, the Digital Health Center, digital signatures and the development of the “Sanad” application. Such initiatives demonstrate how technology adoption has evolved into services used by citizens and government institutions, while opening broader opportunities to develop innovative local solutions.
Al-Bitar said Jordan has also worked in parallel to develop telecommunications networks, introduce 5G services and strengthen its cybersecurity ecosystem, while providing legislative and tax incentives to support the sector.
He said these elements create a better environment for companies to develop products, attract investment and expand beyond the domestic market, while strengthening confidence in digital services and institutions’ ability to use them.
On human capital, Al-Bitar said int@j worked with partners across various sectors to identify the digital skills gap and align training with companies’ needs.
One practical example is the “Tech Forward” initiative, whose first edition resulted in the implementation of 60 projects at 15 universities, involving 201 male and female students. The projects addressed challenges presented by companies, allowing students to test their knowledge on real-world problems while companies became partners in developing their skills before graduation, supporting innovation and practical application.
Dr. Bashir Al-Dweiri, a specialist in computer network engineering and security at the American University of Madaba, said Jordan’s progress in the 2026 Global Innovation Index is an achievement worthy of recognition and reflects the country’s distinguished scientific and research capabilities.
He added that particular attention should be paid to Jordan’s first-place global ranking in scientific and technical articles relative to the size of its economy.
He noted that the indicator measures the number of such articles relative to the size of the economy and does not directly measure research quality, scientific impact or potential for application and investment.
Strategic technology consultant Hani Al-Batsh said Jordan’s rise to 60th place out of 139 economies in the 2026 Global Innovation Index represents an important achievement and reflects a cumulative effort to build an economy increasingly based on knowledge, technology, research and innovation.
He said the figures are particularly significant. Jordan rose from 86th globally in 2019 to 60th in 2026, improving by 26 places over seven years. It also advanced from 73rd in 2024 to 65th in 2025 and then to 60th in 2026, confirming the continued upward trend in recent years.
Al-Batsh noted that the World Intellectual Property Organization placed Jordan among the economies that have achieved the strongest sustained progress since 2019, among economies currently ranked within the world’s top 70.
He added that Jordan’s first-place global ranking in the number of scientific and technical articles relative to the size of its economy is an indicator of the strength of the country’s knowledge capital and scientific output compared with the size of its national ecosystem.
Source: Petra
