Tawasol Crown Prince Town Hall Remarks against delivery

Thank you

In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

I thank everyone who came today, especially Rajwa, whom I wanted to be with us at this gathering

I hope today’s discussions were frank and honest, both questions and answers, because if we want to have a productive dialogue, we have to speak honestly, without embellishing reality, and of course, without denying achievements

The vibe here at the King Hussein Business Park is always positive. This place, with the wide variety of companies it houses, always exudes ambition and new ideas

Honestly, I have been thinking over the past few days of what to say at this meeting today, and I decided to try something new

I am sure most of you have heard of ChatGPT?

It is the most famous artificial intelligence application these days. I asked the application a question on many people’s minds

How will ChatGPT change the labour market?

The answer was that AI will not replace humans, but will free them from routine tasks, especially those related to automation

Humans’ most valuable assets will be their critical thinking skills, strategic planning, innovation, and generating and developing ideas

We find that most of these skills are compatible with the skills needed in the labour market currently and in the future, according to the latest reports—from analytical thinking and innovation, to solving complex problems, emotional intelligence, and social impact

The keywords here are initiative, adaptation, and flexibility

Some of these skills are not available yet in AI, or to be exact, humans have not developed them yet in this technology, and unfortunately, we are not developing these skills among graduates in our country either. This is not acceptable and cannot continue

No one can deny that one of our major challenges is equipping graduates for jobs that are no longer available, and I say to young people: you also have a part to play; don’t be unfair to yourselves through your choices; be bold for your future. Today, waiting for the opportunity means missing it

Invest in specialties and professions that are desirable in the labour market. Let go of preconceptions about certain professions. This kind of thinking leads to despair and would put you down, while the rest of the world moving forward and waits for no one

Indeed, youth are responsible for their future, but their right to empowerment is a responsibility that all sectors shoulder, foremost of which is the public sector

The focus here should be on speed and efficiency in implementing the modernisation process, across its political, economic, and administrative tracks, especially the administrative side, because it is a major driver for other modernisation tracks

As you know, social and economic prosperity is largely rooted in the transparency and efficiency of our public institutions, and the quality of services they provide to Jordanians

We must learn from the past, overcome our fears, and make a qualitative leap in our performance

Throughout the years, we have seen a lot of good plans that were devised to serve the public, but unfortunately we did not see their results, either due to a bloated administrative sector, or because an official feared for his popularity, or they were undermined by scepticism for the sake of scepticism—this all hinders our progress and undermines our self-confidence as a people

So, if we are to stop after each step along the way to see who is satisfied and who is not, we will not move forward as we aspire to and need, or as Jordan deserves, and this is not how things are done at developed countries

There has to be a transformation in the way we work, so we can work seriously and professionally in implementation and follow up

And as His Majesty always reaffirms, we must have faith in our capabilities, faith in our aspirations, and faith in each other, especially that we have today serious, quality plans for the way forward

Frankly, we owe it to ourselves to create a better reality

Let us rethink our wasted resources and capabilities, and put the right talent in the right place

In our country, we have outstanding young capabilities

And we always prove that Jordanians walk the talk

Jordanians have excelled in the technical field, and they have competed regionally and internationally in digital industries, entrepreneurship, start-ups, pharmaceutical and food industries, sports, tourism, and other sectors

I always feel proud when I meet young Jordanians from the Kingdom’s north to its south, who all seek the best for the country

They are full of passion, excitement, and positive energy, and always want to bring about positive change

Some of them have spearheaded social initiatives, others are volunteers who rise at dawn to aid those in need, while some are trainees at professional training centres who are looking for better opportunities

My brothers, Jordanians are known for their immense willpower, which has never let Jordan down

We are always proud of our work ethics and professionalism, at the testament of fellow Arabs and people around the world

Our talents are always imbued with the values that are rooted deeply in our Jordanian spirit—initiative, adaptation, and flexibility

These traits are the most desired today. In Jordan, these are traits passed down from our ancestors, and were instilled in us

Today, we have the opportunity to make these values a special trait in our graduates

It is time we reflected these values in our academic, technical and professional curricula, and better applied them in the educational and professional arenas

These values have to become tools in the hands of Jordan’s future generations, so we can utilise them toward achievements and excellence

Thank you

And Ghassan, this is what I hear wherever I go around the world

This makes me feel proud, but also jealous for Jordan, because we have slightly regressed, which is why I decided to speak about these issues today, because I know that this is what truly matters

I could have easily said something more populist and pleasing on the short term, but I prefer to be realistic, to speak honestly, and to see results on the ground, because I care about what is best for Jordan above all

Finally, I would like to thank you all for coming