The World Bank is nearing approval of a government-proposed restructuring of Jordan’s $200 million Youth, Technology and Jobs Project, which includes an 18-month extension and the reallocation of $3.8 million, as the latest project data shows strong progress across key indicators related to income opportunities, training, digital skills and government services.
اضافة اعلان
The proposed restructuring would redirect $2 million to employment support to finance additional on-the-job training opportunities and wage incentives, while allocating $1.8 million to project management and implementation support, without changing the project’s total cost of $200 million.
According to the project restructuring paper reviewed by Al Mamlaka, the closing date would be moved from February 28, 2027, to August 31, 2028, allowing additional time to complete ongoing activities and achieve results that are still under implementation or verification.
The restructuring comes as the number of beneficiaries reporting documented new income opportunities reached 5,935, while 12,429 people have received digital skills training. The number of school students benefiting from the digital skills curriculum reached 760,554, while private-sector investments mobilized by the project totaled around $16.6 million. More than 80% of government payment services have also been digitally enabled.
Approved in March 2020 and implemented by the Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship, the project aims to improve digitally enabled income opportunities and expand digital government services in Jordan.
Financing data shows a net commitment of $163.1 million from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), of which $88.37 million has been disbursed, in addition to $36.9 million in grants, of which $19.95 million has been disbursed.
Growth in Income Opportunities and Training
The number of beneficiaries reporting documented new income opportunities increased from 4,938 at the end of 2025 to 5,935 as of June 30, 2026, against a final target of 10,000 beneficiaries. The group includes 2,754 Jordanian women and 163 Syrians.
The World Bank noted that a contractual pipeline covers around 5,000 opportunities through agreements being verified by the Social Security Corporation, providing a basis for reaching the final target.
The number of people trained by project-supported training providers also increased from 10,591 to 12,429, representing 83% of the 15,000 target. Jordanian women accounted for 7,056 trainees, exceeding the final target of 4,800 by 47%.
760,000 Students Receive Digital Skills Curriculum
The number of students in grades seven through 12 receiving the digital skills curriculum rose from 402,757 at the end of 2025 to 760,554 by June 2026, around 2.5 times the final target of 300,000 students.
Jordanian female students accounted for 376,741 beneficiaries, while the number of Syrian students reached 41,048, exceeding the respective targets of 150,000 and 18,000.
Regarding STEAM teachers for grades one through six, results tables showed that digital skills had been integrated into 68% of core subjects, against a target of 70%. Around 6,000 teachers had completed training by June/July 2026.
The project recorded 52,896,189 transactions through digital government services, more than 10 times the target of 5 million transactions. The number of newly digitized government services reached 178, compared with a target of 100.
The share of digitally enabled government payment services increased from 30% to more than 80%, with the second-quarter 2026 report putting the figure at 80.2%.
A digital receipts system was also completed during the second quarter, while integration with the Sanad platform through eFAWATEERcom became operational, with formal third-party verification still ongoing.
Private-sector investments mobilized by the project in digital services increased from $15.95 million to around $16.6 million, equivalent to 83% of the final target of $20 million.
The number of digital-skilled beneficiaries employed by supported information technology and outsourcing companies under GrowJo Talent increased from 3,091 to 3,515. The number of companies supported for expansion rose from 47 to 50, reaching the final target for the indicator.
Technology centers served 3,391 beneficiaries by June 2026, a 60% increase from the first quarter of the year, following the operation of centers in Aqaba and Irbid.
Why the Extension Was Requested
The restructuring paper explains that several activities have reached advanced stages of implementation but require additional time beyond February 2027 to fully deliver their expected results.
The technology centers in Aqaba and Irbid are now operational, but the remaining period before the current closing date is insufficient to reach larger numbers of beneficiaries.
Youth training programs in the governorates, as well as programs involving Syrian participants, are also underway and require additional time for implementation, employment, verification and registration with the Social Security Corporation. Meanwhile, training on digital platform services under 23 active agreements is progressing toward reaching 6,002 beneficiaries.
The restructuring also proposes canceling the startup grants activity while retaining other entrepreneurship development activities, including technical assistance and training for eligible startups. The document confirmed that no funds had been disbursed for startup grants.
It said the cancellation of the activity, reallocation of funds and revision of disbursement arrangements were discussed and agreed upon between Jordan and the World Bank as part of the restructuring talks. The agreement was also confirmed in a World Bank letter to the Minister of Planning and International Cooperation dated August 20, 2026.
Of the $3.8 million to be reallocated, $2 million will be transferred to employment support, increasing its allocation from $11.5 million to $13.5 million. The remaining $1.8 million will be redirected to project management and implementation support.
The additional employment-support funding will be used to finance further on-the-job training opportunities and wage incentives, with priority given to Syrian refugees and members of Jordanian host communities, while maintaining the final target of 10,000 beneficiaries of new income opportunities.
Source: Al Mamlaka
