Hasan Dajah

His Majesty King Abdullah’s visit to China marked a new strategic milestone in the trajectory of Jordanian-Chinese relations. It sent a clear message that the future of these ties will not be limited to trade exchange and the import of finished goods; rather, it will move toward building a sustainable development and production partnership based on technology transfer, the exchange of expertise, the localization of advanced industries, and national capacity building.

His Majesty’s meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping, the Chinese leadership, and heads of major corporations reflected an ambitious Jordanian vision aimed at leveraging China’s rapid advancements in artificial intelligence, robotics, digital industries, and renewable energy, while aligning scientific research with the needs of the economy and the labor market. The visit also opened broader horizons for Chinese investment and fostered cooperation among universities, research centers, and companies in both nations. These efforts contribute to training youth, creating high-quality jobs, enhancing the national economy's competitiveness, and solidifying Jordan’s position as a regional hub for technology, innovation, production, and export to both regional and global markets.

His Majesty’s visit to Shanghai held particular significance, given the city's status as a home to leading Chinese companies specializing in robotics manufacturing and application development. The visit was not merely an opportunity to observe an advanced industrial model; it embodied a practical drive to establish direct cooperation between the company and Jordanian universities and institutions—particularly in the areas of research and development, talent training, and the design of robotic applications tailored to the needs of the Jordanian economy. The most significant message conveyed by the visit is the need to shift from merely consuming technology to actively participating in its production and development. With its pool of skilled talent in engineering, software, artificial intelligence, and mechatronics, Jordan is well-positioned to establish a national base specialized in robotics technologies. This foundation could begin with system programming, maintenance, and integration into production lines, subsequently progressing to robot assembly, component manufacturing, and the development of specialized models tailored to local and regional market needs.

Robotics offers vast potential for application within Jordan. In the pharmaceutical and food industries, robots can execute packaging, inspection, and quality control tasks with high precision, while in warehouses and logistics centers, they can handle goods transport, sorting, and inventory management. They can also be deployed in the energy sector for cleaning and inspecting solar panels, and in the water sector for leak detection and pipeline monitoring, alongside applications in agriculture, airports, hotels, healthcare, and specialized cleaning services.

The importance of this technology is particularly evident in sectors such as mining, phosphate and potash production, and civil defense; robots can enter hazardous environments to perform inspection, exploration, and rescue missions, thereby mitigating risks to personnel and enhancing operational efficiency. Consequently, Jordanian-Chinese cooperation in this field represents not only an economic investment but also a contribution to advancing public safety systems and protecting human life.

Furthermore, the royal visit paved the way for reshaping the relationship between universities and the industrial sector. Jordanian universities possess promising scientific and research capabilities, yet they require international partnerships capable of transforming academic ideas and models into commercially viable products and applications. Chinese companies can play a pivotal role in establishing specialized laboratories, developing joint programs, training students and researchers, and supporting technology incubators and startups.

Such cooperation would generate high-quality job opportunities for Jordanian youth, particularly in fields such as robotics engineering, artificial intelligence, software development, control systems, advanced maintenance, and data analysis. These high-value-added roles align with global labor market shifts and help Jordan bridge the gap between educational outcomes and the demands of the new economy. Furthermore, this collaboration could help curb the brain drain by offering advanced professional and research opportunities within the Kingdom.

These initiatives align with the objectives of the Economic Modernization Vision and the efforts of the National Council for Future Technology, which aim to attract high-quality investments and build a knowledge- and innovation-based economy. Jordan boasts a stable investment environment, advanced digital infrastructure, and a skilled workforce, alongside a strategic geographic location linking Asia to Arab and regional markets. These advantages position the Kingdom to serve as a hub for the assembly, programming, and development of Chinese robotics, facilitating their subsequent export to countries across the region.

Thus, the Jordanian-Chinese summit could lay the groundwork for a roadmap that includes establishing a joint center for robotics and artificial intelligence, launching collaborative university and training programs, creating a fund to support technology projects, and attracting Chinese production lines to Jordan’s development zones. Jordanian startups could also be encouraged to develop robotics applications tailored to sectors such as tourism, agriculture, healthcare, energy, mining, and logistics. This roadmap could incorporate tax and financial incentives for investing companies, as well as the establishment of business incubators and joint laboratories that link academia with industry, providing practical training for students and engineers. Furthermore, national priorities for robotics applications should be defined, and provisions made for knowledge transfer, intellectual property rights, and increased local content, thereby transforming this cooperation into a sustainable, production-oriented partnership.

The success of the Royal visit will be measured by the ability of the relevant institutions to translate its outcomes into concrete agreements and projects with clear timelines. Jordan faces a significant opportunity; China possesses the technology, expertise, and manufacturing capabilities, while Jordan offers skilled talent, a strategic location, stability, and market access. By integrating these elements, a model partnership can be forged—one that elevates Jordanian-Chinese relations from traditional cooperation to a stage of joint production and technology localization, thereby reinforcing the Kingdom’s position as a trusted regional hub for robotics, artificial intelligence, and advanced innovation.


Hasan Dajah is a professor of strategic studies at Al-Hussein Bin Talal University. He is also a consultant to the Belt and Road Institute — Peking University