Summary Jordan and Kuwait are drawing closer together. Although Washington likely is encouraging the warming trend, leaders in Saudi Arabia are likely less sanguine. Analysis The National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) will open a branch in Amman, Jordan, during the first half of the year, making it one of only three foreign banks in the tiny Arab kingdom. The Kuwaiti bank will be capitalized at $28.5 million dollars and will fund large-scale oil, gas, water and electricity projects in conjunction with both the Jordanian government and the private sector, Agence France Presse reported Jan. 16. Jordan is careful not to open its financial sector to the richer, more powerful Gulf Arab countries, and the Kuwaiti bank's expansion plans signals a leap forward in the often-troubled relationship between Jordan and Kuwait.