With the support of USAID Jordan Economic Development Program, Jordan continues to reap the benefits of its efforts to support and enhance the operations of its Business Process Outsourcing - BPO - in particular, and the ICT sector in general.
The highlight of this support came about this month with a key Indian business delegation visiting Jordan under NASSCOM's umbrella and with the full support of USAID Jordan for a period of five days.
Ensuring the visit coincided with the ICT Forum the visiting Indian delegates had ample opportunity to conduct numerous one-on-one meetings with distinguished persons from the public and private sectors, as well as going on field visits to Jordanian outsourcing companies. The mission's well structured program of visits enabled them a first-hand experience of Jordan's potentials as a growing outsourcing destination.
USAID Jordan Economic Development Program works alongside its partners, such as the Ministry of ICT, Int@j, Development Zones Commission, Jordan Tourism Board to promote Jordan and secure for it a strong presence on the global map of the outsourcing business.
Earlier on, the Program leveraged on Jordan's open and supportive strategy for all kinds of investments which provides an enhancing infrastructure and conducive climate to secure for Jordan the 9th position on the A T Kearney's report and directory for outsourcing countries in the world. After this success the Program and its partners endeavored to unify all efforts under one national brand that brings them together, and present them to the world as one voice, illustrated through the brand of 'Jordan.. your smart outsourcing destination.'
The Program also supported several local and external activities, which included a Jordanian delegation's visit to the Second Arab Outsourcing Conference in Dubai, and another delegation with private and public sector representation to attend Nasscom's Outsourcing Conference 2010 in Bangalore, India last June. Recently the Program fully supported the visit to Jordan of this high level Indian business delegation under Nasscom's auspices which included businesses aspiring to establish a platform for their businesses in Jordan to be their springboard to the MENA region. An MOU was signed during the ICT Forum to streamline business ties between Int@j and Nasscom.
"Coming to Jordan has opened our eyes to potentials in Jordan. Jordan continues to grow in the outsourcing sector. Our MOU signing is the beginning of this road, and we are proud with this partnership," said Mr Som Mittal, President of Nasscom.
One of the largest Indian outsourcing Companies' CEO commented that the speeches of His Majesty Kind Abdullah II at the MENA ICT forum, and that of the Minister of ICT, plus this whole visit that was arranged by USAID, were extremely inspiring and clearly outlined the advanced stage of readiness Jordan is currently in, as well as its fertile soil for attracting investment opportunities.
In partnership with Jordan's Int@j Association, the Program managed to establish Jordan's IAOP Chapter - International Association for Outsourcing Professionals - which is the second branch in the Arab region. The global IAOP brings under its banner a distinguished group of world leaders and consultants in outsourcing, who engage themselves in best practices, interaction and impacting the global outsourcing sector.
The USAID Jordan Economic Development Program and since its inception has acted as a supporting partner to the BPO sector, as it endeavored to assisted efforts in training, infrastructure enhancement, and promotion of the sector. This, alongside the efforts rendered by partners, has secured placing Jordan on the global outsourcing map, by ensuring its representation in all international conferences and seminars.
The last effort in this regard has been the Indian trade mission that came under Nasscom's umbrella which leveraged on the ICT Forum 2010 for networking and meeting events that would spawn further business opportunities between Jordan and India.