Fast growing fintech firms are forcing traditional brick-and-mortar lenders to adapt to new realities in the banking sector. By Zeid Nasser The term Fintech, which is short for financial technology, has emerged over the past few years to describe Internet-driven…
Oasis500 has launched a new multimillion dinar venture fund which seeks to develop businesses based around space technologies. The startup accelerator’s Jordan Space Ventures Fund will provide funding and mentorship to entrepreneurs using technologies like satellite communication systems to tackle…
KeyBS, a leading technology provider for financial institutions and member of Arabi Holding Group KSC, walked away with the coveted ‘Best Technology and Online’ trophy at SME Stars of the Business Awards 2015. The gala event took place on 2nd…
With no less than 25 competing groups, Jordan’s banking sector could benefit greatly from a little consolidation. By Jawad J. Abbassi A common measure for market concentration is the Herfindahl–Hirschman Index, or HHI. It’s defined as the sum of the…
Even though the statistics show Jordanians are snapping up millions of dollars worth of Dubai real estate, it doesn’t mean cash is flooding out of Jordan to do so. By Jawad J. Abbassi Dubai’s property market has rebounded well from…
The growth of small and medium businesses continues to be hindered by a lack of access to finance. But could recent initiatives change this? By Jane Hosking Growing an SME without access to finance is no easy task. Just ask…
Momentum seems to be building behind Khaled Kanaan’s ambitious plan to break down barriers of entry into Iraq to promote greater cross-border trade, investment, and cooperation. But the prominent Jordanian businessman admitted that convincing more of his peers to bet…
Despite a difficult regional context, the Qatar National Bank (QNB) Group said it expected Jordan’s real GDP growth to reach 4 percent over 2015, accelerate to 4.3 percent in 2016, and 4.5 percent in 2017. Jordan’s economy would continue to…
With new regulations firmly in place, Sharia-compliant bonds finally appear to be gaining traction in Jordan. The Islamic debt market in Jordan is set to capitalize on growing worldwide interest in sukuk, or sharia-compliant bonds. This comes after long-awaited regulations…
These are exciting times for MENA’s online industry. Traditional sectoral investors are starting to worry about the impact of low oil prices, a potential slowdown in construction and real-estate, and eroding margins in telecom and banking. On the other hand,…