EBRD backs blue bond issuance by Housing Bank in Jordan

• EBRD invests US$ 100 million in Housing Bank’s Blue Bonds
• First blue bond issuance in Jordan and the SEMED region
• Financing to support green transition and investments in sustainable water economy

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has invested US$ 100 million in blue bonds issued by Housing Bank, one of Jordan’s leading financial institutions.

The issuance is the first blue bond in both Jordan and the wider southern and eastern Mediterranean region (SEMED). It is also the third use-of-proceeds labelled bond issued by a financial institution in Jordan. Such issuance supports the development of the sustainable finance market in Jordan, as well as the local capital market.

The bonds are being issued under Housing Bank’s Green Bond Framework, which is aligned with the International Capital Market Association’s Green Bond Principles and the International Finance Corporation’s Guidelines for Blue Finance.

The proceeds will be used to finance eligible investments across Jordan, focused on sustainable water and wastewater management, including water desalination.

The bonds will support Jordan’s transition to a greener and more resilient economy by scaling up investments aligned with the EBRD’s Green Economy Transition approach. They will also help to address market gaps by providing long-term financing for environmentally sustainable investments that are not widely available in the local market.

In a country facing severe water scarcity, the blue bonds will play a key role in developing the blue economy and strengthening Jordan's water security. The financing will also support Housing Bank in strengthening its sustainable finance capacity and preparing for potential future public bond issuance, contributing to the development of Jordan’s capital market.

The EBRD’s investment is supported by a technical cooperation package funded by Luxembourg, which has helped Housing Bank to develop its Green Bond Framework and strengthened its readiness to issue green and blue bonds.

This investment marks the EBRD’s fourth partnership with Housing Bank, following a US$ 75 million (€67.9 million) loan in 2025 to support micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), as well as a US$ 15 million (€13.8 million) loan in 2023 co-financed with the Green Climate Fund under the Green Economy Financing Facility and a US$ 50 million trade finance facility in 2021 to foster export and import activity.

Since 2012, the EBRD has invested more than €2.3 billion in Jordan through 86 projects, 70 per cent of which are in the private sector, including financial support to the Jordanian banking sector through MSME loans, subordinated debt and trade finance facilities.