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Ammon News - The Dead Sea (Petra) U.S. Ambassador to Jordan Stuart Jones said Wednesday that his country supports the vision of His Majesty King Abdullah to make the information and communications technology (ICT) sector the engine of growth in the Kingdom.

Jones made the remarks on the sidelines of the "MENA ICT Forum 2013", which is currently underway at the King Hussein bin Talal Convention Center.

He told reporters that his country provides support for this vital sector and is working closely with economic organizations such as Jordanian chambers of commerce and industry, the Jordanian American Business Association and the Information Technology Association of Jordan – Intaj in this regard.

He noted that the U.S. government supports IT training in the Kingdom and encourages emerging companies as Jordan is among the world's top 10 countries in the growth of these companies.

Jones pointed the USAID initiative to provide $50 million grant to support the competitiveness of the ICT sector for the next five years, adding that priority will be to linking Jordanian companies operating in the sector with U.S. companies.

The envoy talked about the Women and Technology and Girls and Technology initiative, which hosted women from the kingdom to look at the U.S. expertise in the field of communications and information technology.

Jordan, he said, will host the second Jordanian-U.S. Business Forum, which begins in two days. Prominent figures in the telecommunications industry and information technology as well as representatives of U.S. companies will take part in the event, he added.