The World Bank’s Managing Director of Operations, Anna Bjerde, during her recent visit to Amman, gave a massive upvote to Jordan’s economic resilience, stating that the Western Asian country, despite the regional geopolitical volatility, has forged ahead with the implementation of its “Economic Modernization Vision,” while noting that she witnessed a “true transformation” during her trip, characterized by greater determination and a focus on achievement.
In an op-ed published on June 23, Bjerde was all praise about Jordan’s ongoing execution of its “Economic Modernization Vision,” stating that the specialty of the roadmap is not only its ambition but also its “discipline and focus on implementation,” describing it as a plan positioned at the core of the government’s work, which is closely monitored and its results constantly measured.
Bjerde, however, said that the challenges facing Jordan were “real,” as she, during her visit to the historic city of Petra, witnessed a decline in the number of visitors, a phenomenon that can be directly attributed to the impact of the regional instability on the country’s tourism sector.
“Inflation and trade disruptions are compounding the scale of pressure at a time when public budgets face fiscal constraints, while attracting investments has become more difficult,” Bjerde stated further.
However, as per Bjerde, Jordan “is not standing idly by” but is rather utilizing this phase to push reforms forward. The focus is centered on building the necessary foundations for job creation by working on essential sectors like water, energy, transport, and digital systems, apart from improving the business environment and attracting private investments.
“The presence of a vibrant private sector is an essential component for providing the required jobs, pointing out that Jordan is pushing toward strengthening the role of this sector within its reform efforts. The Jordanian people are the country’s greatest strength,” the senior official noted, while explaining that what the Western Asian country possesses, and what investors recognize, is an educated, adaptable workforce committed to getting the job done right.
“What is new is linking this advantage to the future of the economy. During my participation in a ministerial roundtable on technology and artificial intelligence (AI), I witnessed real momentum to transform Jordan into a regional digital hub,” Bjerde said, while using the visit to Rujm Al-Shami School as an example, where she saw students using an AI-powered learning assistant developed under the “Masar” program, which is supported by the World Bank and developed by the government.