Multiplying Impact: Amman's High-Growth ICT Industry

Jordan’s technology sector has the potential to significantly reduce the country’s high unemployment rate and utilize its strong human capital base. While Jordan has seen sustained GDP growth over the past 15 years, it has not experienced a similar rise in job creation. However, with Jordan’s ICT sector now worth at least $2.2 billion-having grown from $560 million in 2000- it is poised to play a major role in capitalizing on the abilities of the country’s knowledge workers.

Historically, the success of Jordan’s tech sector has been fueled by individual entrepreneurs who mentor and reinvest in others. Examples of these entrepreneurs include Fadi Ghandour of Aramex and Karim Kawar of Kawar Group. Their support has proven invaluable to the growth of the sector.

Patterns of mentorship and reinvestment have accelerated the growth of other successful tech sectors, including Silicon Valley. More than 2,000 companies can now be traced back to a single Silicon Valley firm whose founders mentored and invested in others, in addition to supporting employees who created new businesses. The intellectual, social, and financial capital that successful founders reinvested into new companies strengthened the local entrepreneurship community.
In Jordan, a new generation of tech entrepreneurs has emerged and is continuing to reinvest their success into other founders in the community.

This group of high-impact entrepreneurs includes Samih Toukan, Hussam Khoury, Ramzi Halaby, Zafer Younis, Ennis Rimawi, Majied Qasem and Imad Malhas. The personal stories of these entrepreneurs highlight the important role they have played in the development of Jordan’s tech sector, building on the foundation created by previous entrepreneurs.

Entrepreneurs build bigger and better businesses when they are able to engage with a support network. This pattern of ambition, growth, commitment, and reinvestment, known as the “Entrepreneurship Acceleration Cycle,” has been observed in successful entrepreneurship communities around the world. Businesses, organizations, and policy makers in Jordan can support this cycle at each stage in order to further the growth of Jordan’s tech sector.