Banking

Jordan’s banking sector, with its diverse array of financial institutions, continued to perform robustly over the past year. In the first half of 2013 non-performing loans dropped to their lowest level since 2009 while the Islamic financial services segment has continued to grow, increasingly seeking out business from small and medium-sized enterprises as well as from the retail sector. In May 2014 the Central Bank of Jordan issued a new set of instructions in line with Basel III standards aimed at ensuring responsible corporate governance within the sector.

This chapter contains interviews with Ziad Fariz, Governor, Central Bank of Jordan; and Nemeh Sabbagh, CEO, Arab Bank.