Business Editor
Jordan Daily - Governor of Central Bank of Jordan (CBJ) Dr. Adel Al-Sharkas said the country’s monetary policy has succeeded in maintaining financial and monetary stability while supporting balanced economic growth.
Speaking at a banking summit organized by the Association of Banks in Jordan, Sharkas said foreign reserves rose to $28.5 billion at the end of January 2026, covering more than 10 months of the kingdom’s imports of goods and services. He added that dollarization declined to 17.6% by the end of 2025.
Sharkas said 2025 had tested the resilience of Jordan’s economy and its ability to adapt to external challenges, noting that growth continued to improve. The economy expanded by 2.7% in the first quarter of 2025 and by 2.8% in both the second and third quarters, compared with 2.6% growth for the whole of 2024.
He said the performance reflected the government’s commitment to implementing a comprehensive reform agenda, supported by positive indicators, particularly in the external sector.
Sharkas also praised the banking sector’s adoption of digital and financial technology solutions, enabled by advanced infrastructure provided by the Central Bank of Jordan. Around 84% of banking services are now conducted electronically without the need to visit branches, he said.
The value of transactions processed through national payment systems exceeded 42 billion dinars in 2025, more than 100% of gross domestic product.
Highlighting efforts to keep pace with technological developments, Sharkas said the central bank launched a regulatory framework for artificial intelligence in the banking sector in July 2025 to guide financial institutions in adopting AI responsibly.
He added that the central bank had completed all projects under the first executive programme (2023–2025) of the country’s Economic Modernisation Vision and would continue focusing on digital transformation, cybersecurity, green finance, artificial intelligence and financial innovation under the second phase (2026–2029).
