EMV Workshops discuss Social Protection, Creative Industries
Amman, 15 July 2025 (Petra) – Workshops on Tuesday continued on the second phase of the Economic Modernisation Vision (EMV) at the Royal Hashemite Court, marking three years since the plan’s launch. The third day of discussions focused on two main themes: social protection and the creative industries.
Experts and specialists in social protection programmes evaluated the sector’s strengths, the factors behind its successes, and the implementation of key programmes. Discussions covered legislative advances and service improvements particularly in education and health.
Participants highlighted several strengths in the social protection sector, including its alignment with national modernisation tracks, the existence of an integrated strategic framework addressing protection, empowerment and crisis response, and the inclusive consultative approach involving stakeholders and civil society. Multiple funding sources were noted as critical in enabling targeted strategic investments, while the reduction of duplication in services has helped optimise resources. Jordan’s successful response to the COVID-19 pandemic was also cited as a model for crisis resilience.
A wide group of stakeholders including civil society representatives and sector experts took part in the session, which examined future directions for the sector and proposed initiatives. These include updating regulatory frameworks, automating and digitising social services, developing a crisis-responsive social protection system, expanding cash transfers to target groups, and providing high-quality basic services to vulnerable individuals.
Sawsan Al-Majali, a member of the Board of Trustees at the National Council for Family Affairs representing civil society organisations, told Petra that the government had made significant legislative and service-delivery gains in social protection, especially in digitalisation.
She stressed the need for a broad and collaborative effort across sectors, stating, "The Ministry of Social Development must not be the only actor responsible for social protection. It is closely linked to education, health, and employment. Cooperation among all parties is essential to ensure protection for every citizen and family in Jordan."
The workshop reviewed government achievements particularly by the Ministry of Social Development and discussed challenges, key initiatives, and potential new programmes. Al-Majali also emphasised the importance of the Economic Modernisation Vision as a national framework uniting various plans and strategies across sectors, with actionable recommendations for implementation.
The social protection discussions fall under the "Quality of Life" pillar of the vision, aiming to expand coverage for the most vulnerable, empower those capable of working, and enhance crisis-response mechanisms supporting inclusive community development.
Highlights from the first phase of implementation included new laws and regulations such as the Social Development Law, the Social Work Practice Regulation, the Nursery Licensing Regulation, the Juvenile Protection Regulation, and the Union Regulation. Other milestones involved deploying mobile early intervention units, opening inclusive day centres across the country, reintegrating 1,952 children into biological or alternative families (cumulative total through 2025), and creating a national psychological support team.
Further achievements included training 417 beneficiaries of the National Aid Fund to enhance their skills and economic independence, conducting field surveys to identify families eligible for housing assistance, evaluating social protection systems’ response to crises, launching specialised workshops for staff, and piloting digital emergency cash assistance services.
Meanwhile, a parallel workshop on the creative industries under the "Future Services" pillar stressed the importance of empowering creative talent and reinforcing Jordan’s cultural identity. Participants highlighted the potential for sustainable economic growth through developing film, video game, and design sectors.
The session reviewed the sector’s strengths, challenges, and empowerment strategies, as well as key impact indicators and proposed initiatives. It also reassessed success factors from the first phase to align with current realities and prioritised areas of focus for the next phase.
Participants said the workshop was a valuable platform to address challenges in the sector, which they described as vital for economic development, community growth, and promoting Jordan as a tourism destination.
They noted that the Economic Modernisation Vision placed strong emphasis on creative industries to elevate Jordan’s local and global position. The country’s cultural standing, entrepreneurial spirit, and creative potential were described as requiring further investment in talent and human capital.
Discussions also touched on funding, raising public awareness of the sector’s importance, and improving infrastructure and service support for the industry. Participants called for stronger efforts to position Jordan as a hub for game development, esports, film production, and creative talent, as well as a centre for design thinking, innovation, and Arabic content.
They underscored the need for partnerships with the private sector to stimulate domestic growth and enable successful entry into international markets. Participants highlighted the importance of building on existing achievements such as establishing specialised centres for entrepreneurs and training programmes for gaming and esports.
Tamer Al-Masri, co-founder and CEO of Jobedu, told reporters that the creative industries encompass several sectors, including film, gaming, design, and cultural products. While funding remains a key challenge, the sector benefits from a wealth of creative human talent, he said.
He added that the workshop addressed a number of key issues, aiming to develop practical solutions to strengthen the sector’s competitiveness. "The vision has already produced tangible results over the past three years, and these outcomes are being felt across the industry," he said.