Ammon News - World Bank: $200M project boots Jordan’s digital economy and expands E-Government services

The World Bank confirmed that the “Youth, Technology, and Jobs” project in Jordan, funded at approximately $200 million, continues to support the digital economy, enhance digitally enabled income opportunities for youth, and expand government digital services.

According to the project’s evaluation report, around 200 government digital services have been launched or improved, resulting in 52.9 million electronic transactions by the end of 2025 significantly exceeding the original target of 5 million transactions.

The report also noted that the share of digital government payments rose to 30%, compared to 5% at baseline, while private sector investments mobilized in digital services reached approximately $15.95 million.

In terms of skills development, 10,591 young people were trained in labor market relevant digital skills, including 6,172 females and 110 Syrian refugees, within programs targeting individuals aged 18 to 35.

Digital skills curricula were also integrated into schools, benefiting 402,757 students in grades 7 through 12, including 189,068 female students and 31,578 Syrian students.

Furthermore, 4,938 beneficiaries reported obtaining digital income opportunities, including employment, freelancing, or launching their own businesses. Of these, 2,366 were females and 112 were Syrians.

On the digital sector front, 3,091 individuals benefited from technology and outsourcing (ITO/BPO) companies. Additionally, 47 companies were supported to scale up, alongside 102 startups through market linkage programs.

Moreover, 1,621 individuals were trained to work via digital platforms, including 826 females and 138 Syrians.

The report highlighted the digitization of 178 new government services, including 78 implemented through private sector companies, in addition to improving 20 existing services and digitizing 803 government payment services.

Regarding financing, approximately $85.82 million, or 42.9%, has been disbursed out of the total $200 million in funding. This amount is comprised of a World Bank loan and a grant from a trust fund.

Despite these results, the World Bank has downgraded its assessment of progress toward achieving the project's objectives and implementation to "relatively unsatisfactory" at this time.

The project is scheduled to continue until February 2027, with expectations of further expanding the digital economy and enhancing employment opportunities for young people in Jordan.