Under the patronage of His Royal Highness Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II, and on behalf of His Royal Highness, H.E. Ahmad Hanandeh, Minister of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship, attended the second regional TEDinArabic event, which took place in the heart of Amman at Al Hussein Technical University (HTU).

The event was held in the presence of H.E. Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al Thani, Vice Chairperson and CEO of the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, along with members of the royal family, senior officials, distinguished guests, representatives of the Qatar Foundation, TED experts and speakers, and a group of 62 students and graduates from schools and universities across the Arab world, including participants from Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, and Palestine. The event was supported by Qatar Museums’ Years of Culture program.

Organized as part of the ongoing partnership between TED and the Qatar Foundation, the event reflected the joint commitment to celebrating and promoting the Arabic language and empowering individuals to share their ideas, experiences, and knowledge through meaningful dialogue and innovation.

Held under the theme “With Our Abilities, We Elevate Our Ideas,” the event opened with a keynote by Ahmad Al-Mansour, educator at Qatar Academy for Science and Technology, who highlighted the richness of the Arabic language and the importance of empowering Arabic speakers to use their language as a tool for creativity and self-expression.

Al-Mansour stated: “Language is to the speaker what tools are to the craftsman. The richness of Arabic gives its speakers a wide range of expressive tools to shape their thoughts beautifully and eloquently. It is our shared responsibility to guide younger generations to see this richness and use it to unlock their full potential.”

The event also marked the launch of the “Share Your Ideas with TEDinArabic” platform, which will select 16 speakers from across the Arabic-speaking world to present their innovative and inspiring ideas at the main TEDinArabic event in Doha, Qatar, in March 2023.

Among the speakers was Amir Nizar Zuabi, a Palestinian writer and theater director, who shared the moving story behind his artistic project “The Walk” — featuring “Little Amal,” a giant puppet representing a young Syrian refugee who traveled 8,000 kilometers across Europe to shed light on the refugee experience.

Zuabi told the audience: “We wanted to honor the millions displaced and forced to flee, to humanize their experience, and to celebrate their resilience and hope for safety and dignity. Amal’s journey is not a political statement — it’s a deeply human story.”

Another speaker, Sheikha Al Jassasi, the first blind Omani woman to earn an MBA from the University of Bedfordshire in the UK, shared her inspiring journey of perseverance and advocacy through her Arabic podcast “Noor,” dedicated to empowering the visually impaired.

She said: “Blindness is not easy, but those who overcome it are not superheroes — they are people who worked hard, received support, and believed in their abilities. My goal is to continue spreading awareness and knowledge, so others can find their own light.”

The event also featured Palestinian activist Muna El-Kurd and included interactive activities such as eight “Unlocking Potential” workshops, an art and innovation exhibition, and the Qatar Foundation Wall, which introduced visitors to the foundation’s mission through multimedia storytelling.

The Amman event marked the second regional edition of TEDinArabic, following the inaugural one held in Doha during the 2021 WISE Summit, one of the Qatar Foundation’s global education initiatives.

Since its launch in 2020, TEDinArabic has received nearly 2 million website visits, reached over 16 million individuals, and generated more than 36 million views across social media platforms — reaffirming the shared vision of TED and the Qatar Foundation in harnessing the power of ideas to inspire change across the Arabic-speaking world.