Amman, Nov. 20 (Petra) – Economic experts said that Jordan’s advancement for the third consecutive year in the Global Knowledge Index aligns with the Economic Modernization Vision, which prioritizes knowledge, innovation, and the transition toward a knowledge-based economy.
Speaking to the Jordan News Agency (Petra), they said the improvement signals a gradual structural shift in the national economy from reliance on traditional industries toward higher value-added activities, particularly in sectors demonstrating strong development performance, including pharmaceuticals, technology, and modern services.
Experts noted that the results reflect the Kingdom’s efforts to enhance its knowledge ecosystem and strengthen the competitiveness of productive sectors, supported by notable gains in economic complexity and value-added indicators for medium- and high-technology industries.
Jordan ranked 73rd out of 195 countries in the 2025 Global Knowledge Index, compared with 88th out of 141 in 2024 and 97th out of 133 in 2023, marking consistent upward progress. This performance underscores Jordan’s commitment to advancing its knowledge infrastructure and its competitiveness in global indicators, in line with the objectives of the Economic Modernization Vision, which seeks to establish a knowledge-driven, innovation-led economy.
The Global Knowledge Index is a flagship initiative of the United Nations Development Program, published in partnership with the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation. It provides a composite measure that evaluates how countries produce, disseminate, and utilize knowledge to support sustainable human development.
Covering 195 countries, the index assesses performance across six dimensions: pre-university education; technical, vocational, and higher education; research, development, and innovation; information and communication technology; the economy; and environment, society, and governance. These pillars together reflect the foundations of a knowledge-based economy and society.
The Jordan Chamber of Industry said the Kingdom’s improved ranking highlights its advanced regional position in knowledge infrastructure, particularly in innovation, productivity, and added value, noting Jordan’s placement at 73rd globally and fifth among Arab countries.
The Chamber added that the performance demonstrates progress in strengthening the knowledge economy and boosting sectoral competitiveness, evidenced by significant advancements in economic complexity and value-added indicators for medium- and high-tech industries. This reflects the industrial sector’s ability to shift toward more sophisticated production and expand its global market presence.
It said the index’s economy dimension shows strong indicators for national industry, particularly in productivity and added value, reflecting structural development in the industrial sector and its capacity to produce higher knowledge-content goods, thereby increasing its contribution to economic growth.
The Chamber said the results confirm that Jordanian industry is steadily advancing toward higher levels of production and technological sophistication.
It added that improvement in economic complexity indicators demonstrates the expansion and diversification of Jordan’s production base, the sector’s capacity to access new markets, and its progression toward technologically advanced, value-added products, key components of a more competitive and sustainable economy.
The Chamber stressed the need to address challenges highlighted by the index, including the financing gap for small and medium-sized enterprises and limited credit access for productive sectors. It said addressing these issues would help maximize productivity and value-added gains reflected in the index.
The Chamber underscored that industry has a strong opportunity to expand its contribution to economic growth by raising economic complexity and enhancing the value-added content of national exports. It called for a deeper government–industry partnership to advance the Economic Modernization Vision, which positions industry as central to the transition toward a more productive, sustainable, knowledge-based economy.
//Petra// AJ
