by Aarya Dhru -

MICROFINANCE EVENT: Sanabel’s 16th Annual Conference; November 21-22, 2023; Dead Sea, Jordan – POSTPONED

Please note that this event has been postponed; new dates have not yet been announced. This event is centered on the effects of global trends on microfinance in Arab countries. Participants will discuss and build strategies on topics such as making microfinance less harmful to the environment, improving risk management, and expanding services to farmers as well as

by Sheen Gupta -

MICROFINANCE PAPER WRAP-UP: “Merchant Expansion Through Digital Acceptance and Liquidity (MEDAL) Facility Report;” Published by Jordan Payments & Clearing Company, GIZ

The Merchant Expansion Through Digital Acceptance and Liquidity (MEDAL) Facility was created in Jordan to test methods for supporting “mobile payment service providers (mPSPs) [attempting] to meet certain merchant acquisition and QR-code transaction targets by experimenting with and developing business, operational and awareness strategies.” The program eventually provided two mPSPs a total of JOD 47,500 (USD 67,000) each because they met all three sets of the program targets, thus receiving the funds in three tranches. The targets included

by Teo Lin-Bianco -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: EIB Lending Jordan Kuwait Bank $119m for SMEs Adjusting to COVID-19 Pandemic

Recently, the European Investment Bank (EIB), an entity of the EU, extended a credit line of EUR 100 million (USD 119 million) to Jordan Kuwait Bank in an effort to boost the Jordanian economy in response to the downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The funds are to be used for

by Steffi Ong -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: EIB Lends $3m to Microfund for Women (MFW) for Entrepreneurs in Jordan

The European Investment Bank (EIB), an institution of the EU, recently lent EUR 2.7 million (USD 3.3 million) to Microfund for Women (MFW) to be on-lent for microenterprise in Jordan. These loans are intended to support 9,100 people, 90 percent of whom are women, whose livelihoods have been threatened by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. EIB drew the funds from the Southern Neighborhood Microfinance

by Tejas Gumudavelly -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Jordan Trade Facilities Company Borrows $5m for MSMEs from Sanad Fund

Sanad Fund for MSME, a Luxembourg-based investor in organizations serving micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), recently agreed to loan the equivalent of USD 5 million in Jordanian dinar to the Jordan Trade Facilities Company (JoTF). The investment is intended to

by MicroCapital Research -

MICROFINANCE PAPER WRAP-UP: “Humanitarian Cash Transfers and Financial Inclusion, Lessons from Jordan and Lebanon;” published by CGAP

Since 2014, cash and voucher assistance (CVA) has played an important role in the management of humanitarian crises. Worldwide, CVA has grown to constitute

by Simrun Kothari -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: In Response to COVID-19, Western Union Transitions to Home Delivery of Money Transfers in Jordan

The Western Union Company, a US-based financial services and communications firm, recently announced that the company’s agents will deliver money transfers directly to customers’ homes in Jordan. Each delivery is to occur within

by Chee Meng Ng -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Fintech Liwwa Raises $21m in Debt, Equity for SME Lending Platform in Egypt, Jordan from Investors Including FMO, 500 Startups, Edgo, EFG-EV, Chris Larsen, Wamda

Jordan-based financial technology (fintech) firm Liwwa recently borrowed USD 15 million to expand its facilitation of loans to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Egypt and Jordan. Liwwa also raised equity totaling USD 6 million from its previous investors Nederlandse Financierings-Maatschappij voor Ontwikkelingslanden (FMO), the Netherlands Development Finance Company; Jordan-based Bank al Etihad; Jordan-based Dash Ventures; and US-based VC firm

by Jolene Khor -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: FMO Guarantees $1.5m in Microlending by Tamweelcom of Jordan to Refugees from Syria via Nasira Program

The Dutch development bank, which is known by the acronym FMO, recently committed to a risk-sharing facility of up to USD 1.5 million to support Tamweelcom, a Jordan-based microfinance organization, in funding entrepreneurship among refugees from Syria. Tamweelcom will make loans of JOD 1,000 (USD 1,440) to JOD 7,000 (USD 9,900) to the refugees to put towards income-generating businesses. To be eligible, borrowers must hold identification from both the UN High

by Michelle Fleming -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Microfund for Women (MFW) Borrowing $5m from EIB to Extend Microfinance to 146k Syrian Refugees, Local Entrepreneurs in Jordan

The EU’s European Investment Bank (EIB) recently agreed to loan USD 5 million to Jordanian microfinance institution Microfund for Women (MFW) to give microenterprises greater access to finance. The deal will support 146,000 people, almost all of them women. A portion of the funds are intended to help Syrian refugees

by Anuhya Tadepalli -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Grameen Credit Agricole Foundation, CoopMed Loan $2m to FINCA Jordan for Microfinance Lending

The Grameen Credit Agricole (GCA) Foundation, whose head office is in Luxembourg, recently partnered with CoopMed Fund, which is managed by Inpulse Investment Manager of Belgium, to loan a total of USD 2 million to FINCA Jordan, an affiliate of the Foundation for International Community Assistance (FINCA International), a US-based nonprofit that seeks to

by Nicholas Galimberti -

MICROFINANCE EVENT: Sanabel Annual Conference: “From Sustainable to Responsible; Our Vision Forward”; November 6 – 7, 2018; Amman, Jordan

Event Summary: Attendees at this event will explore the needs of clients of microfinance institutions (MFIs) in the Arab region, including how MFIs can ensure their transactions are responsible while they expand product and service offerings to current and new clients. While the 2018 agenda has not yet been released,

by the MicroCapital Team -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: EBRD to Guarantee $20m in Lending by Bank al Etihad to Small, Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in Jordan

Bank al Etihad, whose shares are traded on the Amman Stock Exchange, recently secured an agreement from the UK-based European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to share risk on USD 20 million in lending by Bank al Etihad to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Jordan. The borrowers – most of which are expected to be medium-sized firms – will be able to access

by the MicroCapital Team -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Mowgli Mentoring to Engage Syrian Refugees in Jordan with Support from OeEB via Sanad

UK-based NGO Mowgli Mentoring recently secured funding from the Sanad Technical Assistance Facility, which is affiliated with the Luxembourg-domiciled Sanad Fund for MSME (Micro-, Small and Medium-sized Enterprise), to engage 15 Jordanian businesspeople in mentoring a like number of Syrian refugees looking to make their Amman-based businesses

by the MicroCapital Team -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Sanadcom Launches to Serve SMEs in Jordan, Backed by Microfund for Women, GMS Ventures and Investments

Sanadcom for Business Finance, a lender to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Jordan, recently launched with two “anchor” investors: Microfund for Women, a Jordanian microfinance institution, and GMS Ventures and Investments, a subsidiary of Jordan’s GMS Holdings. Sanadcom has enjoyed “additional equity funding and support” from the Sanad Fund for MSME (micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises), a European investor in North Africa and the Middle East, and