In 2023, the Jordanian government announced that it would build a modern new city east of the capital Amman to help the country realize its vision of modern economic and public management development. It is expected that the new city will accommodate about 1 million people after completion.

According to reports, Jordanian Prime Minister Hasawneh said that the new city will be built in the eastern region about 40 kilometers from the center of Amman and about 30 kilometers from Zarqa. The new city and surrounding areas are all state-owned land. Relevant research and planning work will be completed within the next two years, and construction is expected to start in 2025.

Hasawneh said that the government will invest 442 million Jordanian dinars (about 623 million US dollars) to build the new city. At the same time, the government has also established a ministerial committee to specifically monitor the progress of the new city construction and has begun to establish a state-owned company to manage and follow up the new city construction project.

Faisal Shibul, the Minister of Communications of the Jordanian Government, said that the new city will be characterized by efficient energy, transportation and water supply systems, and will be designed and built in full accordance with modern urban standards, covering government offices, residential areas and other commercial and entertainment facilities. After completion, it will effectively absorb the country's new population, ease the pressure on Amman and surrounding cities, and promote the development of green and smart industries.

He said that the first phase of the new city construction will be from 2025 to 2033. It is expected that this phase will attract more than 150,000 people. After the construction of the new city is completed in 2050, its population will reach 1 million. In addition, more than 90,000 jobs will be created during the construction of the new city. Currently, Jordan has a population of about 11 million, of which about half live in Amman and the nearby city of Zarqa.

The government has invested 442 million in the new city project

Faisal Shibul, the Minister of Communications of the Government, said that according to the instructions of King Abdullah, the government has established a ministerial committee to oversee the new city project. Shibul said that Prime Minister Bisher Al-Khasawneh introduced the new city project to King Abdullah and His Royal Highness Crown Prince Hussein.

The minister said a state-owned company will be set up that will own the land and government buildings in the new city, with the exception of ministries and other sovereign institutions, according to Jordan's Petra News Agency.

Shibul said the government has pledged to invest 442 million Jordanian dinars in the project, starting in 2025, and 50 million Jordanian dinars per year.

The government has allocated 2 million Jordanian dinars in 2024 to conduct more studies and develop a comprehensive and detailed plan for the project in preparation for implementation.

Shibul said a detailed plan for the project will be drawn up in 2024, and the project will be built entirely on government-owned land, surrounded by land owned by the Ministry of Finance, and a company entirely owned by the government will be established.

He said the first phase of the project will begin in 2025 and end in 2033, noting that government buildings will be completed in 2028, after which housing construction will begin.

Shibul said the new city will provide a new modern environment that meets all standards, providing entertainment venues, affordable housing and other facilities.

The city's expected population in the first phase could exceed 157,000 people and reach 1 million people in the final phase of the project, which is 2050. Shibul expects the new city to provide 90,000 jobs during the construction phase and have a positive impact on the construction industry.

According to research and planning, the new city project will achieve sustainable development through the use of smart technologies, and will feature efficient energy, transportation and water networks, and encourage green industries.

Railway will connect Amman and the new city project

Amman Mayor Yusuf Shavabeh confirmed at a meeting of the Tourism, Antiquities and Public Services Committee that the new city project will be connected to Amman by rail. The authorities plan to build a new city 40 kilometers east of the capital, and the mayor of Amman said that the new city will include an advanced transportation system using clean energy, with the goal of easing traffic congestion in Amman. Shavabeh said that transportation and traffic congestion are one of the most important projects facing the city, and the city has implemented projects such as the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system to ease traffic congestion. Shawarbeh said the BRT transports about 700,000 passengers per month, significantly easing traffic congestion. The mayor also mentioned the need for legislative action to stop traffic violations. Speaking about waste management, Shawarbeh confirmed that the cost is about 80 million Jordanian dinars per year and that the Amman Vision Investment Development Company is studying the possibility of using waste to generate electricity.

Jordan's new city relieves population congestion

Jordan has announced plans to build a new city east of the capital Amman to ease population congestion and traffic congestion. The new city, to be hailed as "environmentally friendly, sustainable and smart", will be built on the main highway connecting Jordan with Iraq and Saudi Arabia.

The Angolan government said on Sunday that the project, to be built about 30 kilometers east of Amman, is part of the government's efforts to attract long-term investment and stimulate the economy. The new city aims to "provide a radical solution to the problem of rising population density and traffic congestion" for Amman and the northeastern city of Zarqa, and will invest in "clean and renewable energy and water treatment" and provide affordable housing.

Amman has a population of 4 million and Zarqa has a population of 1.3 million, and the combined population is expected to reach 10 million by 2050, according to the statement.

The new city will be built in five phases, with the first expected to be completed by 2030 and the final by 2050. “At various stages of the project, state institutions and ministries will be relocated to the new city,” the government statement added.

The desert kingdom lacks natural resources and has been affected by wars in neighboring Syria and Iraq, from which millions of refugees have sought shelter in Jordan.

The United Nations says Jordan has taken in more than 650,000 refugees from Syria alone, while Jordan itself estimates the number at 1.4 million.

Jordan said last month that hosting refugees has cost the country more than $10 billion since 2011.Editor/Zhao E