INTRODUCTION TO CLOUD IN JORDAN
The Jordanian government is committed to improving the welfare of citizens and the basic services provided to them. The intention is to create a balanced society where opportunities are available to all and the gap between governorates is bridged, putting Jordanian citizens at the heart of the development process. Success will be measured by the level of progress made at an individual level and the overall welfare of the community1. This should be delivered in a manner which gives effect to the rights enshrined in the Jordanian Constitution.2 The government recognises that technology can play a key role in achieving these objectives. The combination of Information Technology and Telecommunications offers a powerful tool for economic growth and societal development in Jordan and the government has committed to taking the necessary steps, where appropriate, to reduce or eliminate any legal impediments to the development and utilization of such new technologies.3 At Microsoft, we agree. We believe that hyper-scale cloud services, in particular, can play a pivotal role in helping Jordan unlock its key socio-economic objectives while ensuring a safer, more secure and more effective environment, which adheres to accepted international technical standards.
While we currently do not identify any specific legislation or related compliance obligations in Jordan that are directed at cloud computing in general terms, Microsoft is nevertheless proud to confirm that it meets regulatory and compliance requirements associated with the use of the cloud in some of the most highly regulated industries across the globe, and can therefore help you to achieve compliance with any of the regulatory and compliance requirements applicable in your sector.
Microsoft has led the cloud technology revolution in Jordan and provides its customers with state-of-the-art cloud services. The Ministry of Information and Communications Technology (MoICT) has launched a national cloud platform in partnership with Microsoft. Its solutions such as Microsoft Azure, Office 365 and Microsoft Dynamics 365 power many different customers across the MEA region, including SMEs, large global corporates, public sector and non-profit organisations. These are just some of the Microsoft cloud services driving the digital transformation across the globe as we seek to empower every individual and every organisation on the planet to achieve more in a safe, secure and legally compliant manner.
THE REGULATORY LANDSCAPE
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Cloud adoption in Jordan, as in many other countries, was initially accompanied by potential concerns about regulatory compliance. These concerns generally related to the ability of cloud service providers to ensure security and privacy compliance. This is changing as organizations now realise they can move to the cloud in a way that meets and often exceeds their security and privacy requirements. Cloud solutions from leading providers such as Microsoft are now being recognized for their ability to offer these or higher levels of security and privacy compliance.
At Microsoft, we welcome these positive developments and are pleased to have participated in several compliance conversations with customers and regulators across different industry sectors in the region. As a result, we have developed a range of materials to help our customers in Jordan move to the cloud in a way that meets their regulatory requirements.
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The laws governing the adoption of cloud computing in Jordan fall into two categories – general laws and regulations that apply to all organizations; and laws and regulations that only apply to organizations within specific sectors. There is presently no uniform regulation for cloud services in Jordan.
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There are no specific data protection laws in Jordan4, but certain laws refer to the requirement to keep certain information confidential. The Jordanian Constitution provides that communications should be regarded as secret and not be subject to censorship, viewing, suspension or confiscation except by judicial order5.
In addition, there are certain laws dealing with rights of access to information held by public bodies6 and other industry-specific laws7 applicable to certain aspects of the data of citizens and customers in Jordan.
To the extent that these laws apply to a customer's use of the Microsoft cloud, Microsoft supports customer compliance by providing both strong contractual undertakings as well as technical and operational measures to address confidentiality, security and availability. Microsoft also adheres to numerous international standards addressing information security and privacy.
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The Jordanian Corporate Governance Code8 does not carry the force of law. The Code was designed to create an improved business and investment environment and enable more sustainable growth by increasing transparency, fairness, accountability and corporate responsibility. The Code is based on the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) principles of corporate governance. For technology and information, it calls for the use of internet and other technologies as much as possible to improve speed and allow for broad and timely disclosure of information that the organization decides to disclose, in order to achieve transparency. It provides that an organization should disclose clear, holistic, and complete information. Use of the Microsoft cloud can assist in these efforts.
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There is no formal encryption policy in Jordan, however, the intention to create one has been outlined in two documents referring to encryption as a necessary procedure to protect information that is sensitive or classified.
The first, dated 20089, sets out guidelines that identify best practices to be followed by government entities and their staff to ensure the security, integrity and availability of information circulating between governmental departments, citizens and public and private institutions. The other document is the National Information Assurance and Cyber Security Strategy (NIACSS)10 which identifies strategic objectives, national priorities, and an implementation road map.
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The Jordanian legislative authority has enacted a private law regarding electronic crimes, which regulates crimes that are committed on information networks or information systems11. Microsoft appreciates that security and privacy are intrinsically connected and understands the need to maintain the security and privacy of data entrusted by customers to Microsoft cloud services. Microsoft works diligently to help protect customer data from unauthorized access. Microsoft has made significant investments in the security of its platform, which, when combined with high levels of security-intelligence and strategic partnerships, helps keep its cloud-based products and services more secure.
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This checklist provides a detailed look into the legal obligations that may affect your usage of Microsoft Cloud Services.
Click here to download the checklist.
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In addition to general laws, industry-specific requirements may apply. You can find out more about the requirements that apply in your industry sector by selecting from "Industries" on the top right-hand corner of this page.
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1Jordan 2025 (National Vision and Strategy)
2 Constitution of The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan 1952
3Statement Of Government Policy On The Information Communications Technology and Postal Sectors 2012
4However, a draft Data Protection Draft Law has been published by the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology for public comment. This indicates that data protection laws are being considered.
5 Constitution of The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan 1952
6 Including the Access to Information Law no. 47 of 2007
7 Including the Credit Information Law No 15 of 2010, Anti-Money Laundering Law No. 46 of 2007, Telecommunications Law No. 13 of 1995 and the Banking Law No. 28 of 2000
8National Policy for the Security and Protection of Information, 2008
9Niacss
10Niacss
11 Jordanian Electronic Crimes Law No. 27 of 2015
WE BUILD OUR TRUSTED CLOUD ON FOUR FOUNDATIONAL PRINCIPLES
Security
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Privacy
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