AMMAN — The Jordan FinTech Festival 2025 kicked off on Wednesday in Amman, organised by the Central Bank of Jordan (CBJ) in cooperation with the Arab Monetary Fund and strategic partnerships with German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) and the Association of Banks in Jordan.

 

The festival aims to explore the future of the digital finance industry, discuss the latest global trends, and exchange experiences and expertise to promote innovation and support the digital transformation process.

 

The event was attended by leaders of central banks, securities authorities, representatives of the financial and banking sector, as well as entrepreneurs, investors, and regional and international experts.

 

The forum was opened under the patronage of CBJ Governor Adel Sharkas, and attended by Director General and Chairman of the Arab Monetary Fund Fahad Turki, Deputy German Ambassador to Jordan Guido Kimmling, and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Jordanian Banking Association Bassem Salem.

 

Sharkas pointed out that Jordan's hosting of this event reflects an ambitious national vision that Jordan is "steadily" moving towards establishing its position as a regional hub for innovation in the financial technology industry, in line with the Economic Modernisation Vision (2023-2033), which places digital innovation at the heart of its strategies.

 

Sharkas pointed out that Jordan has made "significant" progress in developing the infrastructure for digital payments, enacting advanced legislation such as the Virtual Assets Law, and promoting financial inclusion in line with the best international practices.

 

He stressed that the instant payment system achieved a quantum leap in digital payments in the Kingdom during 2024, with the number of e-wallet users reaching approximately 2.6 million, while the number of bank account users linked to the system reached 1.7 million.

 

The governor said that in just one year, more than 140 million payment transactions worth a total of $24.4 billion were carried out through the system, noting that the figures show a continuous growth in digital payment transactions in the Kingdom.

 

Digital payment transactions today account for 84 per cent of total financial transactions in the Kingdom, thanks to the widespread use of internet banking and mobile banking, and the increase in the number of users to 4.67 million.

 

In addition to banks promote the spread of modern payment tools through more than 93,000 points of sale equipped with QR technology and more than 2,400 ATMs, including devices that support biometric fingerprint recognition, as well as more than 8 million payment cards issued within the Kingdom.

 

The two-day festival provides a high-level platform for discussion on vital issues including the future of digital payments, virtual assets, open finance, artificial intelligence in financial services, as well as cybersecurity and consumer protection.