March 12, 2023 Jordan Makes History at SXSW 2023 in Austin, Texas, USA

The Jordanian Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship led a delegation of Jordanian leaders and entrepreneurs at the SXSW Creative Industries Expo—marking the first time ever that an Arab nation has officially participated in the internationally renowned event.

Austin, Texas, USA – March 12, 2023 – Jordan has made history at SXSW 2023, as the first-ever Arab nation to officially participate in the global event. The Jordanian delegation was led by the Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship, and included the attendance and participation of a number of Jordanian leaders, innovators, and entrepreneurs. During the SXSW Creative Industries Expo, held from March 12 to 15, the ministry and its Jordan Source program hosted a large, prominent booth at the Austin Convention Center, where they promoted the Kingdom as an ideal destination for tourism and investment—with a focus on attracting ICT investments and outsourcing.

SXSW is one of the largest annual tech and culture events in the United States, and attracted more than 300,000 attendees. In addition to the Jordan booth at the Creative Industries Expo, the Jordanian delegation also hosted two speaking sessions during the conference: the first, led by Jordan Source’s Tamer Zumot and Dana Darwish, was titled, “Jordanian Talent: The 8th Wonder of the World,” and put the spotlight on Jordan’s wealth of tech talents, digging deep into why and how the small Kingdom has been such a prolific source of innovation. The second session, titled, “Is Jordan the Middle East’s Silicon Valley?,” welcomed three Jordanian tech leaders—Fouad Jeryes of Maqsam, Nour Khrais of Maysalward, and Tina Sweis of Troytopia—to explain how Jordan’s entrepreneurial ecosystem encourages creativity and innovation at all levels.

Commenting on the occasion, the Minister of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship, His Excellency Ahmad Hanandeh, said, “After the success of the Kingdom’s participation in previous global tech events like Web Summit and the MENA ICT Forum, we are elated to be able to build upon our ever-growing international reputation as a prime destination for ICT investments and outsourcing. We look forward to further elevating our presence among investors and businesses in the United States, and we are grateful that our participation in SXSW 2023 was extremely fruitful.”

Following their participation in SXSW, the ministry and its Jordan Source program is building on their presence in the United States with an ICT Roadshow that is taking them to Silicon Valley, in California, and Washington, D.C. During this roadshow, the ministry will be meeting with high-profile companies and investors, as well as influential members of the Jordanian diaspora who are actively supporting the ministry’s mission of attracting investments.