When
the Crown Prince’s Vision Meets Talal Abu-Ghazaleh’s Foresight.. Digital
Transformation is not an Option
A Jordanian Roadmap to the Future... Will the Government Seize
this Opportunity?
AMMAN - His Royal Highness Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II
set out a clear roadmap that can create a transformative shift in Jordan’s
reality and the lives of Jordanians. In his remarks during the launch of the
‘Tawasul Forum 2025’, HRH the Prince highlighted the vital role of technology
in improving services offered to citizens and its essential contribution to
supporting and advancing economies.
In a speech that affirmed the importance of knowledge, creativity,
and innovation, as well as the effective role of utilizing technology and
Artificial Intelligence can play in education, His Royal Highness stated, “We
must be honest with ourselves and point out weaknesses and shortcomings, and
make up for years lost to hesitation and delay. We must not dwell too long in
discussing ideas, for building the future starts today, and ideas must be
tested, applied, developed, and implemented in the real world,” HRH the Prince
said.
While listening to the Crown Prince's speech, which should
energize and awaken our government, I recalled hundreds of articles, speeches,
and statements made by Chairman and Founder of Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Global
Digital (TAG.GD), HE Dr. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, concerning the importance of
digital transformation in various fields and the necessity of focusing on
stimulating creativity and innovation among students. Unfortunately, his
insights have yet to be fully embraced or acted upon by successive governments.
In this context, it’s essential to mention one of the important
publications that every researcher and seeker of understanding and change has
to look for, “Because I Love the Truth – 2025 Edition” book by Dr.
Abu-Ghazaleh. This edition includes dozens of articles addressing digital
transformation, artificial intelligence, and the most pressing critical issues.
In his book, Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh asserts the truth that "Any
economy seeking a place in our inevitable future must prioritize investing in
its digital infrastructure and capacities, and develop them. As Dr.
Abu-Ghazaleh says, ‘Those that control technology will control the world”,
stressing that, “Time will never come back. We have only two choices: either to
innovate or perish.”
Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh also affirmed that “digital transformation” is an
inevitable phenomenon that must be embraced, starting with creating a new
educational system based on technology, knowledge, and stimulating creativity
and innovation among students. “AI-equipped schools are not a distant dream;
they are our present and future,” Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh stated in his book.
In this context, I would like to refer to Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh’s
comprehensive educational reform plan in Jordan, aimed at graduating students
capable of mastering creativity, and establishing knowledge-based startups that
create wealth, rather than seekers of traditional jobs. He further devoted the
full support of TAG.GD to implementing this vision.
Returning to the Crown Prince’s remarks, we must be grateful for having a wise
forward-looking Hashemite King and a trustworthy Crown Prince who guide the
government toward fulfilling its responsibilities and duties. Finally, we call
upon our government to translate the visions of His Majesty King Abdullah II
Ibn Al-Hussein and HRH the Crown Prince into actionable plans.
By Ihsan Tamimi