Arab innovation leaders, tech experts open forum in Amman

Amman, May 20, 2026 — The Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Global Digital (TAG.Global), the Arab Network for Creativity and Innovation (ANCI), the Arab Satellite and Digital Broadcasting Authority and the Arab Smart Cities Forum on Wednesday opened the "Innovation in the Time of Challenges Forum" in Amman, bringing together Arab leaders, experts and decision-makers in innovation and technology. Senate President Faisal Fayez delivered opening remarks, while Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, ANCI Secretary-General Fahd Al‑Amleh and former ministers including Yacoub Sarraf and Maen Qatamin addressed the gathering on the risks and opportunities posed by rapid technological change.

"Innovation is a defining moment of the age, where the capacity to keep pace with rapid technological change has become indispensable for progress and prosperity," Senate President Faisal Fayez said in his opening remarks.

Key announcements and messages

Talal Abu‑Ghazaleh, chairman and founder of TAG.Global and chairman of the board of trustees of the Arab Network for Creativity and Innovation, said "investment in the future is the real investment and the true path to success for individuals, institutions and states." He used the forum to announce the launch of the Arab Authority to Support Investment in Innovation and unveiled plans for a scientific and artistic education initiative aimed at equipping graduates for labor market needs.

ANCI Secretary‑General Fahd Al‑Amleh emphasized youth agency at the event: "the forum underlines that Arab youth are capable of shaping the future and leading it, rather than being on the sidelines." He added that "Innovation is no longer an intellectual luxury, but a prerequisite for survival," warning that nations that fail to produce knowledge will remain dependent on those who do.

Discussion topics and regional context

• Faisal Fayez framed Jordan as a regional model for innovation and entrepreneurship, crediting "a favorable investment climate and advanced digital infrastructure" and backing from His Majesty King Abdullah II and His Royal Highness Crown Prince Al‑Hussein bin Abdullah II for technology, the digital economy and innovation sectors.
• Former Lebanese Minister Yacoub Sarraf warned of misdirected Western innovation and "diverted towards developing instruments of death, military artificial intelligence, cyber threats, and phone hacking," and called for an Arab‑centered digital ecosystem based on Arabic‑language software rather than translated Western systems.
• Former Minister Maen Qatamin cautioned that the accelerating pace of artificial intelligence "is generating unprecedented challenges," and warned that a coming wave of disruption could significantly impact jobs and traditional markets as a handful of major technology firms tighten their grip on the global economy.
• The forum agenda included the role of governments and international organisations in supporting Arab innovation ecosystems, digital transformation, cybersecurity, Arab water and food security, artificial intelligence applications in healthcare and education, and human development in the age of smart transformation.

Organisers presented the forum as a convening point for policymakers, private sector leaders and youth to coordinate responses to technological disruption and to deepen regional cooperation. With the launch of the Arab Authority to Support Investment in Innovation and proposed education initiatives, speakers signalled a shift from diagnosis to action — aiming to strengthen local capacity, increase Arabic‑language digital infrastructure and prepare graduates for evolving labour market demands.