Google, Jordan seal $10 million deal

(AP) -- Jordan on Tuesday sealed US$10 million agreement with Google that allows the kingdom to use the world's leading Internet search engine for advertising.

Western-educated King Abdullah II is an Internet enthusiast who has been desperately seeking to turn his resource-barren country into a regional high-tech hub.

The ICT sector contributed an average of 20 percent to the gross domestic product in the last two years, making it one of the highest revenue generators in Jordan. Last year, Internet giant Yahoo took over the Jordan-based Maktoob.com, the biggest Arabic content provider.

Under the deal, Google will reinvest US$ 2.5 million - a quarter of the agreement's amount - back into the Jordanian market, assisting the nascent information and communication technology sector.

The money will be spent on different projects, including for digital media start ups and to train students in online advertising, Google said in a statement.

Jordan's ICT Minister Marwan Jumaa said the deal will "go along away" in boosting the sector marketing through "know-how transfer from Google to local organizations - a crucial knowledge to have in this day and age."

Google's Vice President Carlo D'Asaro Biondo said Jordan will have far greater digital exposure.

The Google statement said 10 Jordanian businesses will be able to reach global customers more efficiently, using Google's services.

Among them are the flagship Royal Jordanian airlines, Jordan Tourism Board and other government entities.

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