Jordan, U.S. sign pact to bolster tech investment and innovation

Amman, May 5 — The Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO) to strengthen cooperation in innovation and technology and to expand investment partnerships between Jordan and the United States. The agreement was signed by Minister Sami Smeirat during an official visit to the United States on the sidelines of the SelectUSA Investment Summit, positioning the pact as a targeted effort to stimulate bilateral investment flows and open U.S. markets to Jordanian tech firms.

"The memorandum represents a practical step toward translating mutual interests into tangible programs that benefit investors and companies alike, cementing Jordan’s status as a regional technology leader," Smeirat said.

The MOU is explicitly tied to the Jordan Source programme, a ministry-led initiative under the Economic Modernization Vision that promotes the Kingdom as a destination for high-value digital outsourcing and IT services. The pact aims to leverage Jordan’s skilled workforce, digital infrastructure, and strategic location by granting Jordanian companies greater access to U.S. markets while promoting Jordan as an attractive base for international firms expanding into the Middle East and North Africa.

Key collaborative activities

• Organising trade missions and investment delegations to visit Jordan.
• Hosting joint events and facilitating Jordan Source participation in the TEDCO Expo.
• Exchanging technical expertise and knowledge to develop the Jordanian innovation landscape.

The agreement follows a joint seminar held earlier this year in collaboration with the World Trade Institute and the University System of Maryland, which the ministry says facilitated initial networking between Jordanian and American firms. That seminar appears to have laid groundwork for the MOU by establishing early contacts and shared priorities between stakeholders on both sides.

Beyond event coordination, the MOU is framed as a tool to build bridges between startups in both nations, creating channels for investment, partnerships and technology transfer. TEDCO’s role as Maryland’s technology development agency positions it to host and showcase Jordanian ventures at U.S.-based expos and to organise targeted outreach to American investors and companies seeking a foothold in the region.

Officials emphasise that the pact is part of Jordan’s wider strategy to broaden international technology ties and support the local innovation ecosystem. By tying the agreement to Jordan Source and the Economic Modernization Vision, the ministry seeks to convert bilateral cooperation into measurable outcomes: increased foreign direct investment into Jordanian tech, expanded export opportunities for Jordanian digital services, and a stronger pipeline of joint projects and knowledge exchange with U.S. partners.

Looking ahead, the ministry and TEDCO plan to operationalise the MOU through a series of joint activities over the coming months, including trade missions, expo participation and technical exchanges. If implemented as outlined, the partnership could deepen commercial links between Jordanian startups and U.S. investors, while advancing the government’s aim to position the Kingdom as a regional hub for information technology services.