Zain Jordan has announced the launch of Western Union digital money transfer services through the Zain Cash mobile wallet.
There are over 250,000 Zain Cash users in Jordan, and Western Union integration will enable them to send up to JOD10,000 (US$14,000) from their mobile money wallets into bank accounts or mobile wallets in over 130 countries and territories. In 100 of these, the recipients will receive the money transfers in real time.
Customers can fund their wallets from their bank accounts in Jordan, or through cash top-up at Zain’s network of outlets across the Kingdom. Money can be transferred to Western Union agent locations worldwide, and in the coming months, Zain Cash mobile wallet users will also be able to receive money transfers from around the world.
Jean Claude Farah, President, EMEA/APAC Region, Western Union, said: “The extensive support and efforts of the Central Bank of Jordan has driven the evolution of mobile money at pace, allowing the country to leapfrog traditional barriers to development and accelerate economic growth.”
According to the World Bank, Jordan was among the top remittance-receiving countries in the Middle East and North Africa in 2021. Remittances accounted for approximately 8% percent of the country’s GDP. Outbound remittances were around US$575 million in 2019.
Sultan Kashoura, General Manager, Zain Cash Jordan, said: “Remittances are essential to the development of the economy, business and people, and through this collaboration with Western Union, we offer customers the reliability and convenience of seamless money transfers. Our collective focus will, of course, be to drive digital transformation and scale our future plans together to provide tailored digital financial services to the customers.”