Best bank 2025: Arab Bank
Arab Bank has become a benchmark for excellence in Middle Eastern banking, pairing strong growth with strategic vision from its base in Jordan.
In 2024, it recorded a 21% jump in net profit to just over $1 billion, paired by an impressive operational expansion.
A robust corporate and institutional franchise supported that performance. By streamlining processes – most notably through a centralised loan request management system – the bank has sped up transaction processing and improved the corporate-lending experience. It also participated in Jordanian infrastructural projects worth $267 million.
Digital innovation at Arab Bank was another strength. New electronic collection services and the Arabi Cross-Border Program simplified remittances and cash management solutions for expatriates, enabling instant account openings and funds transfers.
The revamped Arab Bank mobile app now provides instant credit card issuance and value-added partnered services such as flight bookings with Royal Jordanian, enriching the customer journey.
In wealth management and fintech, the bank widened its investment offering and technological reach. It launched Omnify, a banking-as-a-service platform, underscoring its forward-thinking approach, while its fintech subsidiary Acabes opened branches across Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and Egypt.
Sustainability is woven into the bank’s business model. Its recent initiatives in this space range from incentives for electric vehicle purchases and interest-free solar energy loans to biodegradable payment cards.
The release of its first sustainable finance allocation and impact report crowns a comprehensive commitment to environmental stewardship and social responsibility.
Best bank for ESG 2025: Bank al Etihad
Bank al Etihad has distinguished itself as Jordan’s leader in ESG through systematic implementation of sustainability principles across its operations and lending portfolio, yielding measurable results in 2024.
The bank has surpassed its green financing targets, with sustainable loans now comprising 6.28% of its total lending portfolio – exceeding its initial 6% target. Green loan issuance increased by an impressive 38.8% year-on-year, reaching 9,000 loans in 2024 compared to 6,500 in 2023. These loans support diverse sustainability initiatives including renewable energy, energy efficiency and sustainable infrastructure.
Demonstrating its commitment to financial inclusion, the bank allocated 30% of these loans to women, 45% to young people, and 27% to startups, fostering green entrepreneurship.
Particularly noteworthy is Bank al Etihad’s commitment to electric mobility, with EV loans accounting for 56% of all auto financing in 2024 – a significant increase from 33% the previous year. Together with its investment in EV charging infrastructure, the bank achieved an annual reduction of 904.022 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.
Al Etihad’s green economy financing facility has been instrumental in driving sustainable business practices, with $10 million fully utilised in 2024 to finance 33 projects across renewable energy, energy efficiency and water conservation.
To encourage green tech adoption, the bank introduced 10%-15% cashback incentives for businesses making sustainable investments. Real-world examples include supporting a food manufacturer to improve resource efficiency while expanding production from 150 to more than 1,000 tonnes monthly, and helping introduce Jordan’s first Concrete 3D printer, avoiding 534 tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually.
Bank al Etihad secured substantial international backing through a €90 million EIB credit line, complemented by a $50 million portfolio guarantee specifically designed to support environmentally conscious SMEs.
The bank has strengthened its sustainable investment strategy, increasing its green bond holdings from 10% to 13% of its total investment portfolio between 2023 and 2024, demonstrating its commitment to scaling sustainable fixed-income assets.
Sustainability is now embedded throughout its governance structure, after it amended its risk board committee charter to explicitly address sustainability risks and establishing a dedicated sustainability steering committee under the direct leadership of the CEO. This is complemented by a sustainability supervisory committee and cross-departmental ESG working groups ensuring integration across all functions.
This governance approach is reinforced by alignment with international standards including the ICMA Green Bond Principles, Partnership for Carbon Accounting Financials (PCAF), and Jordan’s National Green Growth Plan.
The bank’s commitment to ESG extends to comprehensive staff development, with advanced training programmes delivered in partnership with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development Green Finance Academy, reaching over 627 employees with completion rates of 84%-100%.
Specialised workshops focused on agribusiness value chains, corporate sustainability integration, and retail sustainable product knowledge ensure employees across all levels can effectively support the bank’s strategy.
Operational sustainability credentials are equally impressive, with 80% of the bank’s activities now powered by renewable energy through 3.2MW of installed capacity, as it progresses toward its target of 100% by 2025.
As the first Jordanian bank to join PCAF, Bank al Etihad is methodically measuring its financed emissions while developing sector-specific decarbonisation pathways rather than rushing to set interim net-zero targets without proper foundations.
By combining green financing growth, robust governance, staff development and operational excellence, Bank al Etihad demonstrates how a regional bank can systematically integrate sustainability into its business model.
Best digital bank 2025: Arab Bank
Arab Bank has secured the title of Jordan’s best digital bank thanks to its technology and customer-centric innovation.
At the heart of Arab Bank’s digital evolution sits its GenAI Platform, which beings together artificial intelligence assistants to streamline operations and enhance customer interactions. This ecosystem leverages advanced large language models, retrieval-augmented generation, and speech technologies to deliver precise, multilingual support – particularly valuable in Jordan’s diverse market.
The bank’s implementation of image and video generation tools in marketing campaigns has yielded tangible results: 15% higher reach on live campaigns, 35% reduction in costs, and 40% decrease in production time.
The bank has established market leadership with Arabi Next, Jordan’s first dedicated digital banking solution for small and medium enterprises. This platform features over 50 financial and non-financial capabilities, including self-registration, interactive dashboards, and service request functionalities – marking an unprecedented advancement in corporate onboarding within Jordan.
For retail customers, Arab Bank launched Reflect, the region’s first digital mobile banking application that operates entirely branch-free in Jordan, transforming how customers manage their finances with features like multi-currency wallets and QR payments.
Innovation at Arab Bank is further bolstered by its tech enabler ACABES, which expanded to new offices in King Hussein Business Park – Jordan’s epicentre of tech and innovation – creating a vibrant hub for digital development. AB Xelerate, the bank’s innovation arm, has conducted more than seven successful AI-driven proofs of concept in 2024 and hosted the AI Xelerate Bootcamp, attracting over 100 startup applications from across MENA with eight teams selected for mentorship.
Security remains paramount, with Arab Bank implementing sophisticated fraud prevention mechanisms that balance accessibility with protection, including partnerships with Seclytics for advanced threat detection.
Through this comprehensive digital transformation, Arab Bank has redefined banking expectations in Jordan, delivering solutions that address the specific needs of the local market while maintaining international standards of excellence and security.
