Country Overview
Jordan's AI governance runs primarily through the Jordanian Artificial Intelligence Strategy and Implementation Plan (2023-2027), a five-year roadmap built on five pillars — human-capital development, research, an enabling investment environment, a supportive legislative and regulatory environment, and AI-driven public-sector efficiency — comprising 68 named government projects. The Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship (MoDEE), currently led by Minister Sami Smeirat, oversees implementation; as of an April 2025 government update, 15 of the strategy's 68 projects were reported complete (about 22%), with 23 more (34%) underway, including the introduction of AI and data-science degree programs across 27 Jordanian universities.
In early 2025, King Abdullah II directed Prime Minister Jafar Hassan to form and chair a National Council for Future Technology, operating under the supervision of Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah, to coordinate AI and broader digital-transformation efforts across government. The Council has been linked to flagship projects including the Siraj AI-powered educational platform (reported to have reached roughly 1.33 million users by May 2026) and a new National Digital Transformation Strategy (2026-2028) aimed at expanding AI use, strengthening digital infrastructure and reaching 100% digitization of eligible government services by the end of 2026. On the legal side, Jordan's Personal Data Protection Law (Law No. 24 of 2023) took effect in March 2024 and provides the main data-related backstop for AI systems, though as of 2026 the law's dedicated regulatory authority had reportedly not yet been fully established, and civil-society groups including Access Now have criticized the law's independence, since its planned oversight body is chaired by the digital-economy minister and includes security-agency representatives.
Jordan has also begun courting large-scale AI infrastructure investment: in July 2026 Mindstream Energy announced Mindstream Jordan, a proposed campus at the Al-Risha gas field targeting up to 400MW of gas-powered 'sovereign AI' data-centre capacity for regional high-performance-computing and cloud demand — an early-stage proposal that would, if built, mark a significant step up from Jordan's currently minimal domestic AI compute base, though it remains a private announcement rather than an operational facility.
At a Glance
Overall AI policy direction
Active national AI strategy, no dedicated AI law
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Major AI companies
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Research institutions
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Live debates
- Latest development
- July 9, 2026
- Regulatory approach
- Strategy- and project-led implementation through MoDEE and the National Council for Future Technology, with AI-relevant obligations currently addressed mainly through the general Personal Data Protection Law rather than dedicated AI legislation
- Major AI companies
- Mawdoo3
- Major cloud providers
- Mindstream Jordan (proposed)
- Leading research institutions
- Princess Sumaya University for Technology (PSUT)
- Key ministries
- Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship (MoDEE), National Council for Future Technology
- Government involvement
- High and centrally coordinated — the Crown Prince-supervised National Council for Future Technology sits above MoDEE and ministries to steer AI and digital-transformation projects
- Industrial strategy
- 68-project executive plan under the 2023-2027 AI Strategy spanning healthcare, education, energy and smart cities, alongside efforts to grow Jordan's roughly 2,000-company, 48,000-specialist ICT sector
- International partnerships
- Cooperation with UNIDO on presenting Jordan's AI strategy internationally, and German development cooperation (GIZ, BMZ) and the EU co-funding public-sector AI training programs such as 'AI for Government Leaders'
- Primary policy focus
- Executing the 2023-2027 AI Strategy's remaining projects and the 2026-2028 Digital Transformation Strategy, including expanding AI use across government services
Current Direction
Stable
Jordan continues to implement its existing 2023-2027 AI Strategy and has layered a new National Council for Future Technology and 2026-2028 Digital Transformation Strategy on top of it, but this represents continuity and expansion of an established, strategy-led approach rather than a sharp shift toward either tighter or looser rules. No dedicated AI law or AI-specific regulator has been introduced, and the Personal Data Protection Law's oversight body — the closest thing to an AI-adjacent regulator — remains, per available reporting, not yet fully operational as an independent authority.
Recent Developments
Mindstream Energy announces Mindstream Jordan, a proposed 245-acre campus at the Al-Risha gas field targeting up to 400MW of gas-powered 'sovereign AI' data-centre capacity for regional high-performance-computing, cloud and AI demand, backed by a long-term gas-supply agreement with Jordan's National Petroleum Company; follow-on announcements (28 July 2026) add cooling and AI-application partners. It remains an early-stage private proposal rather than an operational facility.
2026-07-09Government reports the AI-powered Siraj educational platform has reached approximately 1.33 million users.
2026-05SourceJordan TimesJordan launches the 'AI for Government Leaders' program, a six-month executive training initiative for senior civil servants across finance, digital transformation, cybersecurity, statistics, procurement, healthcare and social-development bodies, co-funded by Germany's BMZ and the EU.
2026MoDEE outlines priorities for the 2026-2028 National Digital Transformation Strategy, including expanded AI use, strengthened cybersecurity, and a target of 100% digitization of eligible government services by end-2026.
2026SourceJordan TimesMinistry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship reports 15 of 68 government projects under the 2023-2027 AI Strategy's executive plan complete (about 22%), with 23 more (34%) underway, including new AI/data-science programs launched across 27 Jordanian universities.
2025-04-20SourceJordan NewsKing Abdullah II directs Prime Minister Jafar Hassan to form and chair a National Council for Future Technology, under the supervision of Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah, to coordinate AI and digital-transformation policy across government.
2025-02
Policy and Regulation
Jordanian Artificial Intelligence Strategy and Implementation Plan (2023-2027)
Five-pillar national AI strategy with a 68-project executive plan covering capacity-building, R&D, investment environment, legislative readiness and public-sector AI adoption; roughly one-fifth of projects reported complete as of April 2025.
Official text ↗Personal Data Protection Law (Law No. 24 of 2023)
Jordan's first comprehensive data protection law, in effect since March 2024, providing the main current legal backstop for AI systems processing personal data. Its dedicated regulatory/oversight authority has reportedly not yet been fully established as an independent body, and civil-society groups have criticized its planned governance structure.
National Digital Transformation Strategy (2026-2028)
Follow-on strategy prioritizing expanded AI use, digital infrastructure, cybersecurity and continued digitization of government services.
Official text ↗Research Ecosystem
Jordan's AI-relevant research and training runs mainly through public universities now offering AI and data-science degrees (reportedly across 27 institutions since the AI Strategy's rollout) and through Princess Sumaya University for Technology (PSUT), a non-profit university under the Royal Scientific Society that offers a dedicated BSc in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence and runs an 'AI-Ability' outreach initiative for school students. Independent, internationally benchmarked research output specific to Jordanian AI programs is limited in available English-language sources, and should be treated as an emerging rather than established research base.
Major AI Companies
Cloud Infrastructure
- Frontier AI
- No domestic frontier developer
- Compute
- Minimal domestic AI compute today; a proposed 400MW Mindstream 'sovereign AI' campus at Al-Risha would be a step up if built
- Chip access
- Import-reliant; no domestic fabrication
Mindstream Jordan (proposed)
Early-stage private proposal (announced July 2026) for a gas-powered 'sovereign AI' data-centre campus of up to 400MW at the Al-Risha gas field, aimed at regional AI, high-performance-computing and sovereign-cloud demand; not yet operational.
Leading Universities
Think Tanks
No think tanks recorded yet.
Government Institutions
Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship (MoDEE)
Lead ministry implementing Jordan's AI Strategy and Digital Transformation Strategy; led by Minister Sami Smeirat.
National Council for Future Technology
Coordinating body formed in early 2025 under Royal direction, chaired by the Prime Minister and supervised by Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah, overseeing AI and digital-transformation projects including Siraj and the Digital Signature initiative.
Notable Gaps
Dedicated AI regulator
No AI-specific regulatory authority exists; the Personal Data Protection Law's planned oversight body — the closest analogue — was, per available reporting, not yet fully established as an independent authority as of 2025-2026, and its planned governance structure (chaired by the digital-economy minister, with security-agency representation) has drawn criticism from Access Now over its independence.
Frontier AI developer or major AI think tank
No frontier AI model developer or dedicated AI-focused policy think tank headquartered in Jordan was identified; AI activity is concentrated in government strategy implementation, applied startups (e.g., Mawdoo3) and university programs rather than frontier research.
Key People
Sami Smeirat
GovernmentMinister of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship; vice chairman of the National Council for Future Technology
Government of Jordan
Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah II
GovernmentSupervises the National Council for Future Technology and Jordan's broader technology and AI push
Hashemite Royal Court
People and Organisations to Follow
Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship (MoDEE)
GovernmentPrimary government source for Jordan's AI strategy implementation updates.
Access Now
Think tankDigital-rights organization that has published detailed critical analysis of Jordan's Personal Data Protection Law and its implications for AI-era data governance.
Current Debates
GovernmentIndependence concerns over Jordan's planned data protection authority
Civil-society organizations, including Access Now, have criticized the governance structure planned for Jordan's data protection oversight body — the main current legal backstop for AI systems handling personal data — arguing it lacks independence from the government bodies it would need to regulate.
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Independence concerns over Jordan's planned data protection authority
Civil-society organizations, including Access Now, have criticized the governance structure planned for Jordan's data protection oversight body — the main current legal backstop for AI systems handling personal data — arguing it lacks independence from the government bodies it would need to regulate.
Access Now's analysis of the Personal Data Protection Law (enacted 2023, in force since March 2024) notes that the law's planned oversight authority would be chaired by the Minister of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship and include representatives from security agencies and the telecommunications/ICT industry, and would not be empowered to hold private companies and public entities fully accountable for violations. As AI systems increasingly process personal data across Jordanian government and industry, the practical strength of this oversight body — which was still not reported as fully operational as of the available 2025-2026 reporting — remains a live open question for how effectively AI-related data risks will be supervised.
GovernmentWhether AI-driven public-sector modernization can outpace Jordan's ICT brain drain
Jordan's AI and digital-transformation strategy depends on a skilled ICT workforce, but Jordan faces a well-documented brain-drain problem as trained professionals move to better-paying jobs in Gulf countries and other markets.
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Whether AI-driven public-sector modernization can outpace Jordan's ICT brain drain
Jordan's AI and digital-transformation strategy depends on a skilled ICT workforce, but Jordan faces a well-documented brain-drain problem as trained professionals move to better-paying jobs in Gulf countries and other markets.
Analysts of Jordan's ICT sector note that the country has one of the region's higher ratios of engineers to population and around 48,000 technology specialists, but that higher salaries abroad continue to draw skilled workers away, even as the government expands AI training programs (including for civil servants, via initiatives like 'AI for Government Leaders') and university AI degree programs. Whether these training investments meaningfully offset outward migration of AI-skilled talent, or whether Jordan's role becomes primarily one of training talent for export, is a recurring question in commentary on the sector's prospects.
Knowledge Hub
Official documents
Think tank reports
- Jordan's AI policy journey: Bridging vision and implementation— Oxford Insights
- Jordan passes flawed data protection law— Access Now
Sources
Deliberately sourced beyond government publications. The bars below show each category’s actual share of this page’s citations — an internal editorial guideline rather than a rigorously derived target, so treat it as a rough steer, not a precise benchmark.
- 15 Government AI Projects CompletedNewsJordan News2025-04-20
- Jordan launches "AI for Government Leaders" program to drive public sector modernizationGovernmentPetra (Jordan News Agency)2026
- Jordan accelerates digital future under Crown Prince-led tech pushNewsJordan Times2026
- King tasks PM with forming, chairing National Council for Future Technology, supervised by Crown PrinceNewsJordan Times2025-02
- Crown Prince chairs first meeting of National Council for Future TechnologyNewsJordan Times2025
- Jordanian Artificial Intelligence Strategy and Implementation Plan (2023-2027)GovernmentMinistry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship (MoDEE)2023
- Jordan passes flawed data protection lawExpert commentaryAccess Now2023
- What To Know About Jordan's Personal Data Protection Law of 2023Expert commentarySecuriti2024
- Mideast: Jordan's Uncertain but Promising Future Is Mirrored In Its ICT SectorExpert commentaryModern Treatise2026-07-07
- Mindstream Energy proposes 400MW gas-powered data center in Jordanian gas fieldIndustryData Center Dynamics2026-07
- Mindstream Jordan LLC Targets 400 MW Sovereign AI Infrastructure Platform In JordanIndustryPR Newswire (Mindstream Energy)2026-07-09