By John Lee.
According to Jordan's state-run Petra news agency, financial and banking experts and representatives of international financial institutions convened on the sidelines of the 2026 Franchise and Trade Agencies Exhibition in Amman to discuss expanding economic cooperation between Jordan and Iraq.
The dialogue session, titled "Financing Mechanisms, Banking Facilities and the Role of International Financial Institutions in Supporting Trade and Investment Exchange Between Iraq and Jordan," focused on strengthening private-sector financing and bilateral investment opportunities.
Marcel Rashid, representative of the International Finance Corporation (IFC) mission in Jordan, described Jordan and Iraq as part of an interconnected economic system and said the IFC supports private-sector development and strategic project financing in both countries. He noted that the IFC has invested billions of dollars in Iraq in recent years across private-sector initiatives, infrastructure, and financial services, and that its role includes technical and advisory support alongside direct financing.
Katarina Hansen, Director of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) office in Iraq, described Iraq as one of the region's most promising markets, citing opportunities in transportation, logistics, energy, electricity, and telecommunications. She said the EBRD is working alongside the World Bank Group and other international partners to support Iraq's development priorities.
Nasser Abu Zahra, Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Head of Corporate and Banking at Housing Bank, said amendments by the Central Bank of Jordan had enabled Jordanian banks to finance projects in Iraq, including in the energy, industrial, services, and technology sectors, using instruments such as letters of credit.
(Source: Petra)
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