 In July 2003, the Government of Jordan launched one of the most ambitious programs in the entire MENA region, a 10-year multi-donor Education Reform for the Knowledge Economy Program (ErfKE) for which the World Bank provided US$120 million.The goal of the program was to bring the country's educational policies and programs in line with the demands of a knowledge based economy, improve the physical learning environment in most schools, and promote early childhood education.The first phase of program lasted from 2003–2009, closing in June 2009.