Amman, July 8 (Petra) — The Housing Bank has launched Jordan’s first
blue bond, issuing a $100 million loan note under a $200 million
program with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
(EBRD), marking a milestone in the country’s sustainable finance
market.

According to a bank statement issued Wednesday, the proceeds will
finance sustainable water-resource projects, primarily the National
Water Carrier Project, underscoring the bank’s commitment to
advancing sustainable financing and financial innovation.

The issuance is a significant development in Jordan’s capital market,
said Housing Bank CEO Ammar Safadi, calling the blue bond an
investment and financing instrument dedicated to projects supporting
water-resource management, ecosystem protection and sustainable
infrastructure.

The initiative, he said, will support Jordan’s national water
security program, while strengthening the Kingdom as a regional
leader in sustainable finance.

Safadi added that the issuance reflects the bank’s role in
accelerating development through integrated financial solutions for
strategic national projects, particularly the National Water Carrier
Project. He noted that in 2025, the bank led the arrangement of an
JD800 million local banking syndication loan for the project.

Mike Taylor, EBRD Managing Director for Financial Institutions in the
Middle East and Africa, said Jordan’s inaugural blue bond is a
landmark transaction that strengthens the link between sustainable
finance and the Kingdom’s water security priorities.

Taylor said the EBRD’s partnership with the Housing Bank marks an
important step forward for sustainable finance in Jordan and lays the
groundwork for future thematic bond issuances across the region.

The National Water Carrier Project is the largest water
infrastructure project in Jordan’s modern history. It is expected to
supply around 300 million cubic meters of potable water annually to
Aqaba and Amman, enough to meet the needs of approximately 4 million
people.

The project will enhance national water security, support sustainable
economic development and serve as a model for cooperation between the
banking sector and major national infrastructure projects.

The bank said the inaugural blue bond demonstrates its ability to
diversify sustainable funding sources through innovative financing
instruments aligned with international best practices, supporting
green finance and channeling investment toward projects that deliver
long-term environmental, economic and climate resilience in line with
the bank’s vision and the Central Bank of Jordan’s sustainability
strategy.

//Petra// NQ