Khaberni - Zaytoonah University of Jordan participated in the Amman Entrepreneurship Agriculture Forum organized by the Jordanian Association for Entrepreneurship and Agricultural Innovation in cooperation with the Merchants and Agricultural Materials Producers Union, and sponsored by Khalil Hajj Tawfiq, president of the Amman Chamber of Commerce. The event was attended by a select group of experts, entrepreneurs, academics, and several university students. Participants discussed ways to enhance agricultural innovation and empower youth to tackle food security and climate change challenges.
During the first session, Dr. Bilal Al-Wadi, director of the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center at the university and CEO of the Jordanian Association for Entrepreneurship, emphasized that agriculture is no longer a traditional sector but has become a fertile platform for innovation and entrepreneurship. He explained that Zaytoonah University of Jordan works to integrate concepts of agricultural entrepreneurship into its academic and research programs, in addition to developing quality initiatives in smart agriculture and sustainable agricultural technologies, in line with the vision of national economic modernization.
Al-Wadi added that the Jordanian agricultural sector witnessed a remarkable growth of 8.1% in the first quarter of 2025, contributing 0.45 percentage points to the GDP, reflecting the growing national awareness of the importance of shifting towards agricultural innovation and sustainable practices.
Al-Wadi further outlined that the university is confidently working to establish itself as a national driver of innovation through transforming knowledge into practical applications that contribute to the development of agricultural production chains, leveraging its specializations in the fields of artificial intelligence, engineering, and technology to support entrepreneurial youth and enable promising projects. He also noted that the global smart agriculture market is estimated at about 25.9 billion dollars for 2025, with projections reaching 60.9 billion dollars by 2034, at a compound annual growth rate of 10.8%, reflecting the global shift towards a knowledge-based and technologically driven agricultural economy.
The forum covered main topics that included the transition to smart agriculture and the green economy, financing mechanisms and investment in agricultural entrepreneurial projects, in addition to showcasing success stories of Jordanian youth in fields of hydroponic, organic agriculture, food manufacturing, and renewable energy.
The events of the forum concluded with the affirmation on the importance of integrating agricultural entrepreneurship within the national economic modernization programs, the establishment of a national fund for financing agricultural innovation, along with the creation of digital incubators specialized in various provinces, enhancing Jordan's position as a regional center for agricultural innovation and entrepreneurship, and embodying the national direction towards a sustainable knowledge-driven economy led by youth and innovation.
