Ammon News - Jordan is participating in the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group, which began on Monday in Bangkok, Thailand, and will run through October 18. The Jordanian delegation includes Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Zeina Toukan, Finance Minister Abdul Hakim Al-Shibli, and Central Bank of Jordan Governor Adel Al-Sharkas.

Jordan’s participation comes as the country awaits the launch of the sixth review of its economic reform program supported by the IMF’s Extended Fund Facility (EFF), as well as the third review of its Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF) program. This comes alongside continued financial and development cooperation with the World Bank, which approved two financing packages for Jordan last June worth a combined $1.1 billion.

The meetings provide an opportunity to follow up on economic and financial cooperation programs with the two international institutions and discuss reform, growth, and investment priorities amid ongoing economic challenges arising from regional tensions and their impact on energy prices, transportation costs, and trade.

Two upcoming reviews with the IMF

The meetings coincide with the expected sixth review of the Extended Fund Facility program, which the IMF approved for Jordan in January 2024 with a value of approximately $1.3 billion, and the third review of the Resilience and Sustainability Facility, approved by the Fund in June 2025 with a value of approximately $700 million.

According to the IMF’s latest published disbursement schedules, completion of the sixth review would make approximately 97.8 million Special Drawing Rights (SDRs), equivalent to around $132 million, available to Jordan. The upcoming review of the Resilience and Sustainability Facility will assess the implementation of reforms designed to strengthen the economy’s ability to withstand long-term challenges, particularly in the water and energy sectors and in health emergency preparedness.

Disbursements associated with both reviews remain conditional on completing the required measures and procedures and obtaining approval from the IMF’s Executive Board.

On June 17, the IMF Executive Board completed Jordan’s fifth review under the Extended Fund Facility and its second review under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility, unlocking total financing of approximately $188 million.

At the time, the Fund affirmed that Jordan had continued to maintain macroeconomic stability despite the repercussions of the war in the Middle East. It also highlighted progress in implementing economic and fiscal reforms and stressed the importance of continuing to reduce public debt, stimulate growth, and create jobs.

Recent World Bank financing

Jordan’s participation also follows the World Bank’s approval of two financing packages for the country in June 2026, totaling $1.1 billion, to support economic reforms and the healthcare sector.

On June 12, the World Bank approved $400 million in financing for a healthcare sector reform program, comprising $349 million from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and $51 million from the Global Concessional Financing Facility.

The program aims to improve the efficiency of government healthcare spending and the quality of primary healthcare services, develop financial and administrative governance systems in public hospitals, and strengthen the digital transformation of healthcare services.

On June 30, the World Bank approved a separate $700 million loan under the second phase of Jordan’s Growth and Competitiveness Development Policy Financing Program. The loan aims to support private sector-led investment, expand access to finance, create jobs, and accelerate the country’s digital and green transitions.

The meetings are important for Jordan as it follows up on the implementation of these programs and financing packages and discusses future cooperation priorities with the World Bank Group. These priorities are intended to align with the objectives of the Economic Modernization Vision, particularly in stimulating investment, strengthening economic competitiveness, and creating jobs.

Meetings focus on global economic challenges

The annual meetings bring together finance ministers, central bank governors, senior economic officials, and representatives of international financial institutions to discuss global economic prospects, financial stability, debt, and development financing.

The program includes ministerial discussions and sessions on mobilizing private sector investment, expanding employment opportunities, and the role of technology and artificial intelligence in development. It also features the release of IMF reports on the World Economic Outlook, global financial stability, and fiscal policy.

The meetings provide a platform for consultations on the economic challenges facing developing countries and ways to strengthen economic and financial stability and mobilize the resources needed to finance development priorities amid persistent global uncertainty.

The US-Israeli war against Iran, now in its eighth month, and the inflationary pressures and cost-of-living difficulties it has caused are expected to dominate the agenda and side discussions at the IMF and World Bank annual meetings. The meetings are being held outside Washington for the first time in three years.

World Bank President Ajay Banga told Reuters that global growth had proved more resilient than expected when Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz, disrupting approximately 20% of global oil supplies. However, he said, pressures were beginning to mount again.

He added that a sharp rise in diesel and fertilizer prices, combined with an anticipated super El Niño phenomenon—which experts say could cause 450,000 deaths due to extreme heat—was creating a convergence of pressures at the same time.