Arab Bank has recently provided its support to the Women’s Economic Empowerment project in collaboration with “Dar Abu Abdullah”. The support comes as part of the bank’s constant efforts in enabling underprivileged families and empowering women to sustain their families’ livelihoods, thus contributing to achieving sustainable development.

Through its support, Arab Bank will empower 10 women beneficiaries from “Dar Abu Abdullah” through financing five greenhouses that operate on hydroponic technology, after enrolling them in theoretical and practical training programs providing them with the necessary skills to maintain a stable source of income and improve their standard of living.  

Commenting on this support, Mr. Samer Balkar, Dar Abu Abdullah General Manager, said: “We believe in the active collaboration with the private sector and take pride in our strategic collaboration with Arab Bank, which will contribute to changing the lives of these women and their families, in addition to achieving progress on the women economic empowerment front.”  Balkar added: “Dar Abu Abdullah works to support and empower the less fortunate by enrolling them in theoretical and practical trainings that prepare them for the labour market. This is in addition to financing small projects, so our beneficiaries become financially independent and build a better life for themselves and their families.”

Dar Abu Abdullah is a non-governmental and non-profit organization that seeks to empower individuals, enhance their capabilities, and sustain their livelihoods through projects that address the underlying causes of food poverty in Jordan. Named after His Majesty the late King Hussein Bin Talal and chaired by Her Royal Highness Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, Dar Abu Abdullah was established in an effort to honor His Majesty’s legacy and his belief that the individual represents a nation’s greatest asset.

It is worth mentioning that Arab Bank has taken an active role in the community by adopting a comprehensive strategic approach and collaborating with several NGOs to achieve sustainable economic, social and environmental development. “Together”, Arab Bank’s corporate social responsibility program is a multi-faceted program that works on improving and developing different aspects of the community. Through a variety of initiatives and activities, the program aims to serve the community in areas related to health, poverty alleviation, environmental protection, education, and orphan support.

Arab Bank was the official sponsor of the Tenth International Conference of The Royal Medical Services titled “Global Challenges and Sustainable Development in Health”, which is held at the King Hussein Bin Talal Convention Centre - Dead Sea. Deputizing for His Majesty King Abdullah II, The Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces – Arab Army, His Royal Highness Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II inaugurated the conference. Nearly 50 Arab and foreign countries participated in the event with over 200 speakers including scientists, experts, officials and specialists in the medical field.

The conference features specialized seminars on cancer diseases and their advanced treatment, neurological diseases as well as the latest scientific findings in various medical specialties such as general surgery, internal medicine, gynecology and more. This edition of the conference also hosted 50 medical and surgical and medical workshops at the King Hussein Medical Center, which address and treat 200 chronic medical conditions.

Arab Bank's strategic sponsorship of this conference is part of its constant commitment towards supporting initiatives and events aimed at the development of vital areas in the economy and community including those related to the medical sector, which is a main contributor to achieving sustainable development. Additionally, the bank’s support comes in recognition of the instrumental role of the Royal Medical Services adopting the latest developments and trends in the health sector to help improve the health services provided in the Kingdom and reinforce its leading position in this field locally and regionally.

In line with its social responsibility program “Together”, a group of Arab Bank employees and their families recently volunteered to plant 250 forest trees at Al-Faisaliah station in Madaba. The initiative is part of the Madaba forest tree planting project, which was launched by “Himmeh w Lammeh” in collaboration with the Directorate of Agriculture to increase the green space in Madaba with the support of civil society organizations and the private sector.

“Himmeh w Lammeh” initiative, launched in 2019 by a group of women, operates under the umbrella of Jordan Inbound Tour Operators Association (JITOA) - a voluntary non-profit organization that links all the various players in the tourism value chain, with the goal of supporting the growth, sustainability, and adaptability of the Kingdom’s inbound tourism sector.“Himmeh w Lammeh” initiatives focus on raising community awareness on the importance of maintaining cleanliness in Jordan’s tourist and archeological sites, as well as parks, street sides and roads leading to governorates.

It is worth mentioning that Arab Bank has taken an active role in the community by adopting a comprehensive strategic approach and collaborating with several NGOs to achieve sustainable economic, social and environmental development. “Together”, Arab Bank’s corporate social responsibility program is a multi-faceted program that works on improving and developing different aspects of the community. Through a variety of initiatives and activities, the program aims to serve the community in areas related to health, poverty alleviation, environmental protection, education, and orphan support.

Arab Bank has recently renewed its support for the “Sunbulah” initiative, implemented by “Al Jude Foundation for Scientific Care” at public schools in collaboration with the Ministry of Education. The initiative aims to instill a culture of creativity among teachers and students, enhance the school environment and address its challenges using innovative solutions, thus achieving a culture of partnership among teachers, students, the school and society.

Arab Bank’s sponsorship of the initiative’s third phase comes as part of its constant efforts in supporting vital initiatives aimed at enhancing the school environment and enabling teachers to spread the culture of social entrepreneurship in collaboration with the local community. 

Managing Partner of Al Jude Foundation, a non-profit organization, Maher Kaddoura, said: “Since its inception, the initiative contributed in enhancing the students and teachers’ self-confidence and developing their skills, which are no longer limited to ideas creation only  but also to on-ground implementation as part of their daily life". Kaddoura affirmed that the initiative has achieved positive results during its first and second phases through the implementation of several educational, environmental, and recreational projects, which reflected the positive knowledge exchange between teachers and students to enhance their school environment. 

Kaddoura highlighted that the initiative aims to reach 1,000 public schools this year, noting that 3,000 teachers across the different public schools in Jordan have been trained since the launch of the third phase, while registration through the website sonbola.org. is still open for public schools.

Kaddoura also expressed his pride in collaborating with Arab Bank as the main sponsor of the initiative throughout its three phases, praising its active role and contribution to achieving the foundation's objectives.

For his part, Dr. Nawwaf Al-Ajarmeh, His Excellency the Secretary General for Educational and Technical Affairs, praised the active partnership between the private and public sectors and its important role in positively impacting the educational environment. He also stressed the importance of such initiatives carried out by teachers and students to bring their project ideas to life.

Arab Bank’s support of this initiative is part of its social responsibility program “Together”, a multi-faceted program that works on improving and developing different aspects of the community. Through a variety of initiatives and activities, the program aims to serve the community in areas related to health, poverty alleviation, environmental protection, education, and orphan support.

Arab Bank recently provided its support to Edraak, a massive open online course (MOOC) platform in Arabic established by the Queen Rania Foundation (QRF). The bank’s support will contribute to development of the preparatory content for the Certified Management Accountant (CMA) certification, a globally recognized credential in accounting issued by the Institute of Management Accountants in New Jersey, USA.

The collaboration with Edraak platform comes as part of Arab Bank’s constant efforts to support the education sector, particularly e-learning, and contribute to enabling those who wish to develop their knowledge and professional paths, especially in the field of accounting. The platform provides tools, solutions and specialized educational content that enhances the knowledge around accounting, finance, administrative and analytical concepts using digital means available online.

The new course offers comprehensive knowledge of the CMA exam requirements, which applicants must cover in order to pass the exam. This is in addition to covering topics around cost accounting, preparation of budget estimates, performance measurement, internal control systems, regulatory procedures, corporate governance, financial statements analysis, cost management, supply chain management, budgeting, costing systems and strategic planning.

The course entails six free courses covering accounting and finance related topics over two stages, allowing learners to advance their career paths in accounting.

It is worth mentioning that Arab Bank has taken an active role in the community by adopting a comprehensive strategic approach and collaborating with several NGOs to achieve sustainable economic, social and environmental development. “Together”, Arab Bank’s corporate social responsibility program is a multi-faceted program that works on improving and developing different aspects of the community. Through a variety of initiatives and activities, the program aims to serve the community in areas related to health, poverty alleviation, environmental protection, education, and orphan support.

Arab Bank has recently renewed its collaboration agreement with the Charity Clothing Bank, which is part of the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organization (JHCO), for the eighth consecutive year. The agreement aims to provide decent clothing for 1200 orphaned children from across the Kingdom throughout the year.

This cooperation comes as part of Arab Bank’s corporate social responsibility program “Together”, which aims to serve the community in areas related to citizenship and social responsibility. Through its continued collaboration with the Charity Clothing Bank and its vision in achieving social solidarity, Arab Bank seeks to support the community by offering moral and material support to underprivileged segments in the society, including orphaned children through the Charity’s Orphan Day program that provides them with clothing, shoes and toys throughout a special recreation day.

Secretary General of the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organization, Dr. Hussein Al-Shibli, praised Arab Bank’s contribution in achieving the JHCO’s objectives and providing necessary support for orphans, stating: “Our ongoing collaboration with Arab Bank over the past eight years has contributed in implementing many charity initiatives for children, most notably providing over 8400 clothing pieces to orphaned children across the Kingdom, thus alleviating some financial burdens on their families.”

The Charity Clothing Bank, since its establishment in 2013, has served over 1,300,000 beneficiaries and distributed more than 6,000,000 clothing pieces to underprivileged families supported by the National Aid Fund and other NGOs, through initiatives held at the Clothing Bank’s showrooms in Amman and Al-Karak.

It is worth mentioning that Arab Bank has taken an active role in the community by adopting a comprehensive strategic approach and collaborating with several NGOs to achieve sustainable economic, social and environmental development. “Together”, Arab Bank’s corporate social responsibility program is a multi-faceted program that works on improving and developing different aspects of the community. Through a variety of initiatives and activities, the program aims to serve the community in areas related to health, poverty alleviation, environmental protection, education, and orphan support.

Arab Bank today brings its customers Apple Pay, a safer, more secure and private way to pay that helps customers avoid handing their payment card to someone else, touching physical buttons or exchanging cash — and uses the power of iPhone to protect every transaction. Bringing the service to Arab Bank’s customers is part of the bank's strategy to continually provide the latest payment solutions and providing a seamless banking experience.

Customers simply hold their iPhone or Apple Watch near a payment terminal to make a contactless payment. Every Apple Pay purchase is secure because it is authenticated with Face ID, Touch ID, or device passcode, as well as a one-time unique dynamic security code. Apple Pay is accepted in grocery stores, pharmacies, restaurants, coffee shops, retail stores, and many more places.

Customers can also use Apple Pay on iPhone, iPad, and Mac to make faster and more convenient purchases in apps or on the web in Safari without having to create accounts or repeatedly type in shipping and billing information.

Security and privacy are at the core of Apple Pay. When customers use a credit or debit card with Apple Pay, the actual card numbers are not stored on the device, nor on Apple servers. Instead, a unique Device Account Number is assigned, encrypted, and securely stored in the Secure Element, an industry-standard, certified chip designed to store the payment information safely on the device.

Mr. Yacoub Matouk, Head of Consumer Banking at Arab Bank – Jordan, said: “We always strive to provide our customers with advanced payment solutions that meet their ever-evolving needs.” He added: “Bringing Apple Pay to our customers is yet another value-added benefit to Arabi Mobile app’s digital services, and provides our customers with an easy and secure banking experience that is in line with the latest digital payment technologies.”

Apple Pay is easy to set up. On iPhone, simply open the Wallet app, tap +, and follow the steps to add Arab Bank credit or debit cards. Once a customer adds a card to iPhone, Apple Watch, iPad, and Mac, they can start using Apple Pay on that device right away. Customers will continue to receive all of the rewards and benefits offered by Arab Bank cards.

For more information on Apple Pay, visit (Here) and for more information on activating the service via “Arabi Mobile”, please visit (Link)

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Arab Bank has recently renewed its support to Endeavor’s fellowship program the leap! which aims to empower entrepreneur executives with experience in the labor market, and help them make the transition from employees to entrepreneurs or business owners.  Endeavor announced opening the application doors for the 3^rd cohort of its fellowship encouraging executives with industry knowledge and specialization, and those who have identified a product/service/business model with a viable standalone business potential, to apply to the leap! through the Endeavor Jordan website https://www.endeavorjordan.org/the-leap. Deadline for receiving applications is February 5^th.

The leap! trains program fellows in the art and science of forming a new business through 10 modules that are delivered by credible industry experts, ecosystem players, and successful entrepreneurs and founders. To accommodate working professionals, sessions are held on Wednesday evenings and Saturdays, and preparatory material is shared in advance to enhance discussion, while collateral material is handed out after each session to enrich knowledge.

The pragmatic and practical modules cover product management, business model, the team and corporate culture, marketing and branding, accounting, investor readiness, legal aspects of setting up a business (contractual obligations and taxes), and finally wrapping up the fellowship with a mock pitching session to investors.

It is worth mentioning that the leap! program welcomes qualified employees from all sectors, and encourages women to apply, as they constitute a major pillar of the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the Kingdom. The selection criteria require applicants to have 10+ years of industry experience with executive leadership roles. Applicants must have identified a product/service/business model that has a standalone business potential and are committed to attending 90% of fellowship modules & assigned work.

Arab Bank Group achieved solid results for the period ending December 31, 2022, with net income after tax of $544.3 million as compared to $314.5 million in 2021. The Group’s performance was driven by robust growth in its core banking business across different markets, as net profit before provisions and tax increased by 23% to reach 1.35 billion US dollars.

Excluding the impact of devaluation of several currencies against the US dollar, loans and deposits grew by 5% to reach $35.4 billion and $ 47.7 billion, respectively, despite the volatile operating environment.

In view of these results, the Board of Directors has recommended to the shareholders, the distribution of 25% cash dividends for the financial year 2022.

Mr. Sabih Masri, Chairman of the Board of Directors, commented that Arab Bank was able to achieve several key strategic objectives in 2022 despite the challenges that emerged during the year. He also added that the results reflect the bank’s unique footprint as well as its diversified franchise and rooted presence in several markets. Mr. Masri stated that the bank remains committed to its strategic sustainable growth direction centered on serving customers’ evolving needs, and continuing to invest in innovation and digital transformation.

Ms. Randa Sadik, Chief Executive Officer, stated that Arab Bank continued to deliver sustainable growth rates during 2022 despite the economic challenges stemming from high inflation, increased interest rates and the devaluation in exchange rates of several currencies against the US dollar. The bank’s net operating profit grew by 23% driven by the growth in revenues from its core banking business, its diversified sources of income, with focus on non-interest income, as well as controlling operating expenses in line with the bank's prudent strategy.

Ms. Sadik added that the Group’s liquidity and asset quality remains solid where loan-to-deposit ratio stood at 74.2% and credit provisions held against non-performing loans continue to exceed 100%. Arab Bank Group maintains a strong capital base that is predominantly composed of common equity with a capital adequacy ratio of 16.6%

Ms. Sadik also highlighted that as part of Arab Bank’s commitment towards Sustainability and its Environmental, Social and Governance (“ESG”) priorities, the bank has launched its inaugural Sustainable Finance Framework, in line with international principles, guidelines and best practices. Arab Bank is the first bank in Jordan to adopt such a Framework and the bank has obtained a Second Party Opinion from S&P Global Ratings, which has affirmed the Framework’s alignment with the related international principles. 

With regard to the bank's digital transformation efforts, Ms. Sadik stated that the bank continues to implement its ambitious strategy on this front, noting that during the year the bank launched several digital banking services and solutions across various markets to meet the evolving needs and expectations of the different customer segments, including youth, inline with the latest trends and developments.  

Arab Bank was named “Best Bank in the Middle East 2022” for the seventh consecutive year by New York-based international publication “Global Finance”. The bank also received several awards in recognition of its corporate and consumer digital banking services in Jordan and across the MENA region.

The 2022 financial statements are subject to the approval of the Central Bank of Jordan.

Arab Bank renewed its support for the Digitization and Cybersecurity program implemented by INJAZ at different universities for the fourth consecutive year.

The program, in light of the rapid developments that the technology sector is witnessing, aims to enable students to identify the techniques and methods related to digitization and cybersecurity to ensure the protection of data against theft or damage when transferred, saved, or shared. The program also aspires to educate the students on topics related to cybercrime, identity theft, Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), as well as smartphones and applications, through interactive sessions that employ e-learning tools.

Through its strategic collaboration with Arab Bank over the past three years, INJAZ has been implementing the Digitization and Cybersecurity program across different universities and colleges in the Kingdom to keep pace with the rapid developments in cybersecurity and contribute to reducing the knowledge gap among students in this field. To date, over 3000 participating students have benefited from the program.

Arab Bank’s support of this program comes as part of its constant commitment to empower the youth and build their capacity by providing them with the knowledge and skills required to enter the labor market and contribute to sustainable development in light of the acceleration in technology and digital transformation that the world is currently witnessing.

Arab Bank recently concluded the second edition of its FinTech Bootcamp for entrepreneurs, which aims to drive emerging FinTech solutions in Jordan.  

Through this initiative, Arab Bank offered an ideal opportunity for promising FinTech entrepreneurs to present their ideas for a chance to develop them into innovative FinTech solutions and products. The bootcamp received a total of 74 applicants, of which, 13 were selected based on eligibility. The selected participants were then enrolled in an intensive workshop at AB iHub located at the bank’s headquarters, where they received specialized training by leaders in FinTech and entrepreneurship as well as Arab Bank’s team of experts.

The bootcamp concluded with a demo day where startups pitched their solutions to a panel of judges comprised of Arab Bank senior management and independent investors. “DESAISIV” received the first-place prize while “askPepper” received the second-place prize and “IPass” came in third. All three winners received cash rewards to continue developing their ideas and building their solutions.

Commenting on this initiative, Ms. Hala Zahran, Head of AB Accelerator at Arab Bank, Said: “We are proud of the remarkable success achieved by our FinTech Bootcamp every year, which is not only manifested through the number of ideas we have received, but also in the quality of these ideas and the engagement of the entrepreneurs across the different stages of the program, which provided them with a chance to develop their emerging ideas and solutions.” Zahran added: “This initiative provides young entrepreneurs with a unique opportunity to grow their skills and innovate through transforming their ideas into actual FinTech products and solutions based on best practices and market strategies.”

It is worth noting that Arab Bank is considered one of the leading regional financial institutions in deploying advanced digital solutions for financial and banking services. Arab Bank also gives significant importance to supporting innovation in the financial technology sector towards evolving the banking services and solutions in a manner that dovetails with the latest trends and developments associated with the fourth industrial revolution and the constantly evolving needs and expectations of customers across the different segments and sectors.  Arab Bank has adopted an integrated strategic approach in this respect, creating a center for innovation “AB iHub” and an accelerator hub. This strategic approach is in line with the bank's constant endeavor to support entrepreneurial startups and projects thus contributing to youth capacity building, innovation and sustainable economic development.

Arab Bank has recently opened Souq Bab Al Madinah branch in its new location in Al-Zarqa. The opening comes as part of the bank’s strategy to reinforce its branch network in the Kingdom and provide its customers across different segments with banking solutions that are in line with their needs and expectations.

The new branch offers alongside the usual banking services, a dedicated area for “Elite” program customers, a wide range of services to “Premium” program customers and SMEs through dedicated relationship managers, and an “ITM” for communicating in real-time with a bank representative via a video call to assist customers in conducting their banking transactions easily and instantly. The new branch also comprises an “ATM Plus”, which enables customers to withdraw double the daily limit amount in JOD and USD, instant and post-dated cheques deposit in JOD around the clock, and instant cash deposit in JOD and USD, in addition to the usual ATM services anytime.

Commenting on the branch opening, Head of Consumer Banking at Arab Bank – Jordan, Mr. Yacoub Matouk, stated: “The opening of the new branch in Al-Zarqa comes as part of Arab Bank’s constant efforts to connect with its customers across the different areas in the Kingdom and meet their needs and expectations within the highest banking standards.” He added: “The new branch offers a host of comprehensive banking services and systems to ensure a seamless and secure customer experience.” 

In addition to its branch network across the Kingdom, Arab Bank also offers a host of digital banking solutions and services through its “Arabi Mobile” app, and through its “Arabi Online” internet banking service. Additionally, customers who are interested in opening accounts with Arab Bank can download the "Arabi Mobile" app through App Store, Google Play or Huawei AppGallery then use the option "Open New Account" available through the application to enter the required information without the need to visit a branch. Through its “Arabi Next” app, the first of its kind in the Kingdom, Arab Bank also offers SMEs a host of banking privileges and digital services that meet the needs of this vital sector.

Arab Bank signed a cooperation agreement with HyperPay, the leading electronic payment gateway in the Middle East and North Africa region, to provide the bank’s merchants and customers with the latest e-payment solutions. The agreement comes as part of the bank’s constant efforts to provide its customers with seamless banking services in line with their needs and expectations.

Through the agreement, the bank’s merchant and service provider customers will have access to a comprehensive host of advanced e-payment services including payment acceptance, risk and fraud management.

Head of consumer banking at Arab Bank – Jordan, Mr. Yacoub Matouk, said: “We continuously seek to provide the latest banking services and e-payment solutions to our merchant and service provider customers. This collaboration with HyperPay is an added value to our offering that provides advanced and secure solutions to our customers, as well as the ability to track results and to access data easily.”

For his part, Mr. Mohannad Abwini, CEO of HyperPay, said: “HyperPay is linked to a wide network of banks across the region and acts as a mediator between banks, merchants and users by providing merchants and service providers with comprehensive e-payment solutions within high levels of security and ease.”

Abwini added: “HyperPay aims to further expand across the region through its offices in KSA, UAE and Egypt, while also providing advanced technologies and e-payment solutions, as well as enhancing our smart e-payment processing solutions using the latest and most effective technology platforms to serve the different companies and financial institutions. Today, HyperPay is able to merge with any commerce platform and offer payment acceptance with utmost ease and speed.”

It is worth mentioning that Arab Bank offers a host of digital banking solutions including the e-payment acceptance service for a wide range of merchants in Jordan through POS machines, the “Arabi E-Mart” online shopping platform, websites for merchants to increase their online sales, and the “Arabi MobiCash” app, which allows card payments using smartphones.

Arab Bank has recently received several international recognitions from prestigious organizations, most notably “Best Consumer Digital Bank in Jordan 2022” by New York-based Global Finance Magazine.