AMMAN — Central Bank of Jordan (CBJ) Governor Adel Sharkas on Wednesday said that foreign reserves at the CBJ have approached $28 billion, covering nearly 10 months of Jordan’s imports of goods and services, more than three times the internationally recommended standard.

 

He also said that surplus liquidity in the banking sector has reached nearly JD5 billion, reflecting the Kingdom’s strong monetary and banking stability despite regional and global challenges.

 

Speaking to the public service broadcaster, Al Mamlaka, Sharkas noted that this level of liquidity provides a substantial buffer to meet the needs of the national economy and support sustainable growth.

 

He added that banks’ legal liquidity stands at 144 per cent, well above the required 100 per cent, while the capital adequacy ratio reached 18 per cent, providing a “strong safety margin.”

 

Sharkas also said that foreign reserves at the CBJ have approached $28 billion, covering nearly 10 months of Jordan’s imports of goods and services, more than three times the internationally recommended standard.

 

The governor also noted that the balance of payments posted a $2 billion surplus in 2025, a 25 per cent increase and the highest since 2017.

 

"Preliminary data showed foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows reached $2.024 billion last year, up from $1.618 billion in 2024, the highest level since 2017, reflecting investor confidence in Jordan’s economy and policies."

 

Investments from Arab countries totaled $1.241 billion, or 61.3 per cent of total FDI inflows.

 

“These indicators demonstrate that Jordan’s economy remains on a solid recovery path, supported by ongoing fiscal and structural reforms that strengthen macroeconomic fundamentals and enhance the business environment,” he said.

 

He also said that inflation in the first two months of 2026 was recorded at 1.10 per cent.

 

Jordan’s economy continues to recover steadily despite ongoing geopolitical tensions, Sharkas said, adding "GDP grew 3 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2025, reflecting the quality and breadth of growth across all economic sectors."

 

The manufacturing sector contributed 55 per cent of this growth, up from 30 per cent in previous periods, underlining its increasing role in driving expansion.

 

Preliminary Department of Statistics (DoS) figures showed sectoral growth across all activities, with agriculture leading at 7 per cent, followed by mining and quarrying at 6.9 per cent, manufacturing at 5.2 per cent, and electricity supply at 4.5 per cent.

 

Manufacturing contributed most to overall growth, with 0.87 percentage points, followed by agriculture at 0.46 points and mining and quarrying at 0.24 points.

 

On exports, Sharkas said that "strong performance" reflects Jordan’s diverse network of regional and international trading partners. “Our export structure benefits from stable external demand, particularly in pharmaceuticals, clothing, phosphate, and potash,” he said.

 

He also noted that Jordan relies on multiple sources of foreign income, including remittances, tourism revenues, and foreign investment, which further strengthens economic stability.

 

Sharkas highlighted government measures to address regional challenges, including securing energy supplies, strengthening supply chains, building strategic stockpiles, and gradually passing changes in oil prices onto the local market to contain inflation.