Jordan's Crown Prince bets on AI - and on his generation

At the Dead Sea on Saturday, Jordan's Crown Prince Al Hussein and Princess Rajwa attended the Tawasul 2026 Forum, joining a panel discussion on the transformative impact of artificial intelligence on economic productivity.

The Crown Prince made his message clear: AI-powered applications must be developed and deployed across both the public and private sectors — and Jordan cannot afford to wait.

The Tawasul Forum is no ordinary conference. A national youth dialogue platform, it brings together young Jordanians with experts, entrepreneurs and policymakers to debate the country's future, from education and technology to culture and the economy. It is precisely the kind of space where Crown Prince Al Hussein feels at home.

And for good reason. He is, in every sense, an early adopter, a young leader who has made technology and innovation a personal cause long before it became fashionable in the region.

Jordan is not Silicon Valley. It is not Israel. It does not have the petrodollars of the Gulf or the deep tech ecosystem of its neighbours. What it does have is something harder to manufacture: a generation of well-educated, ambitious young people hungry for opportunity, and a Crown Prince willing to champion their aspirations from the highest levels of the state.

The kingdom has quietly been building its digital foundations, investing in coding education, startup ecosystems and e-government services. AI is the next frontier, and the royal family's visible engagement sends a signal that this is a national priority, not a talking point.

A prince who means it

What sets Crown Prince Al Hussein apart is that his interest in technology does not feel performative. He has consistently shown up, at forums, at startups, at innovation hubs, as a participant, not just a figurehead.

Saturday's panel discussion was another reminder that Jordan's bet on AI has a genuine champion at the top.

The question now is whether ambition, talent and royal backing are enough to turn a small desert kingdom into a serious player in the global tech race.

Jordan's young generation seems to think so. And their Crown Prince is betting on them.