By Ethan Wang, CEO of Huawei Jordan and Lebanon

The World Bank recently recognized Jordan as one of the most advanced countries in the Eastern Arab region (also known as the Mashreq) to develop, adopt and utilize digital infrastructure and services. Spurred by early government initiatives, business-friendly regulations and policies, and a growing population of digital natives, the ICT sector contributes 12% to the country's GDP .

This success has only been made possible by the visionary government's future-proof approach to developing its economy in line with global standards. It recognized very early on that the development of its ICT ecosystem can accelerate the process of digitalization and positively impact the lives of its residents. Through its proactive approach, Jordan has been able to build a robust ICT infrastructure and boost its market to be more competitive at regional and global fronts.

As Jordan prepares for a post-pandemic world, it must turn its attention to the actual drivers of its digital economy – the future ICT leaders of Jordan. A highly skilled workforce can accelerate the innovation and development of the sector in the country while ensuring the fulfillment of the government's ambitious visions. Jordan has already taken proactive steps to build the ICT talent, with the World Bank granting the country US$200 million to improve digital services and access to jobs for youth and underserved communities .

However, a stronger collaboration between public and private sectors, educators, and ICT companies is critical. By working together, we can determine the essential skills required and work closely with students and employees to support them as they grow into the future ICT leaders of Jordan. As a leading technology solutions provider to Jordanian enterprises, Telco's and small businesses, Huawei is closely aligned with Jordan's Vision 2025 and REACH2025 to support its ICT talent development.

Last year, the Huawei ICT Academy launched its "Learn ON" program to address the educational needs of university-based ICT talent affected by the pandemic. The program brings together global university partners and offers college cooperation incentive funds, which can be used for online courses and examinations, online experiments, etc., and provides more than 130 Massively Open Online Courses (MOOC) resources, covering cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), big data, 5G, cybersecurity and the Internet of Things (IoT).

Huawei Jordan has established long-term relationships with universities, customers, and partners in the public and private sectors to build ICT infrastructures and talents. We look forward to continuing this in the future by empowering more youth with the skills needed to take full advantage of advanced technologies.