The Middle Eastern country is accelerating its shift towards a unified digital identity, leveraging biometric iris technology to provide citizens with access to over 500 government and financial services via the Sanad app
Jordan has made significant strides in its national digital transformation, announcing that 1.8 million digital IDs have been activated via the country’s Sanad app. The platform, which integrates sophisticated IrisGuard biometrics, is now the primary gateway for citizens to access government services online.
The achievement, highlighted in the annual report from the Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship (MoDEE), cements Jordan’s position as a regional leader in adopting biometric-backed national digital identification.
While the activation figure falls short of the ambitious 3.5 million target set for this year, the underlying biometric system has already registered approximately 9 million people, according to IrisGuard Deputy Director Simon Reed earlier this year. The system provides a foundation for near-universal digital enrollment.
Banking on Biometrics
The Sanad digital ID is not confined to government portals; it has quickly been embraced by the financial sector.
The most practical benefit of the system is that customers can now complete certain banking transactions without the need to present their physical ID card. The digital ID is integrated into bank queuing systems, streamlining services and reducing friction for users.
This financial adoption was spearheaded by Arab Bank, which became the first institution in the country in July to accept the national digital ID in place of a physical card. Subsequently, a nationwide iris biometrics-based system for salaries was launched in collaboration with Cairo Amman Bank (CAB), further entrenching the technology in daily commerce. The banking services deployment was launched in partnership with Jordanian IT company OFFTEC.
Digital Transformation Beyond Identity
The MoDEE report, covering the period from September 2024 to September 2025, detailed several other key breakthroughs aimed at cementing the country’s modern infrastructure:
Service Digitalisation: Jordan has successfully digitalized 80 per cent of all government services.
E-Invoicing: A national e-invoicing system has been fully implemented.
Data Sharing: The Open Government Data Platform was launched, containing approximately 3,800 datasets available for public and private sector use.
Health Infrastructure: The Jordan Digital Health Center was established.
In anticipation of future advancements, Jordan concluded public consultations for its National Digital Transformation Strategy 2026-2028 in September, focusing on the wider adoption of digital identity and e-signatures as primary strategic pillars. The widespread integration of the Sanad app and its biometric foundation is seen as crucial to securing this long-term digital vision.
