Armed with deep pools of liquidity, many Middle Eastern banks are exploring new avenues of growth, from expanding their regional presence to concentrating on innovation within the Islamic finance sphere.

A sharply declining growth in GDP, political and social unrest, credit rating downgrades, rising NPL ratios... To say Jordan's banks have faced a testing couple of years would be an understatement. However, there are some causes for optimism.

Jordan's economy was shielded from the worst of the global financial crisis. However, despite this stability, its deposit-rich banks are struggling to ignite the country's lending markets.

The impact of the global downturn and tighter regulations imposed by Jordan's central bank looks set to change the future shape of the country's banking sector. Writer Stephen Timewell

Conservative policies and tight banking regulations have given Jordan the stability it needs to foster business confidence. But it remains to be seen how its banking sector will adapt to the leaner, fitter economy. Writer Stephen Timewell