AMMAN — Prime Minister Jafar Hassan on Saturday launched the Amra City Project, a long-term urban development initiative the government said aimed at managing population growth, creating investment opportunities, and providing sustainable living solutions for future generations.

 

Planned over 25 years, the project is intended as a model city rather than a new administrative capital, the government said in a statement, adding that the mega project’s launch follows directives from His Majesty King Abdullah in the Letter of Designation.

 

The project aims at easing demographic pressure on Amman and Zarqa, where populations are expected to reach 11 million within 25 years if growth continues at its current pace.

 

The project is located on state-owned land totaling nearly 500,000 dunums, with the first phase covering 40,000 dunums. The Jordanian Company for the Development of Cities and Governmental Facilities will oversee implementation, with construction beginning early next year and some components scheduled for completion within two years.

 

Amra City will follow a comprehensive land-use plan that designates areas for investment, education, commerce, industry, services, housing, and tourism. It is envisioned as a green, technologically advanced city that relies on clean energy, modern public transport, and digital infrastructure, the statement said.

 

An advisory council of young Jordanian experts in architecture, arts, environment, energy, sustainability, real estate development, and technology will contribute to shaping its design.

 

The first phase includes major projects such as an international exhibitions and conferences centre to be completed in 2027, an integrated sports city featuring an international football stadium to be completed in 2029, an Olympic city, Olympic-standard indoor arenas, a car-racing track, a 1,000-dunum environmental park, and an entertainment city expected to open in 2028.

 

It will also include commercial and service zones, an educational city, a technology hub focused on investment in the education sector, and expanded cultural facilities including an extension of the Royal Automobile Museum.

 

These developments will be funded through both local and foreign investment, the statement said.

 

Preliminary studies indicate that the first phase will generate thousands of jobs and stimulate activity in the construction, trade, transport, tourism, and building-materials sectors, thereby supporting broader economic growth.

 

Once the first phase is completed at the end of 2029, Amra City will be linked to the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) network, strengthening its role as a hub for housing, employment, and mobility, according to the statement.

 

The project is being developed under the Jordan Investment Fund, which owns the land and established the development company overseeing the city. A partial public offering may be considered after the first phase, allowing citizens to invest directly.

 

Strategically located on international routes connecting Jordan with Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Iraq, the city lies 40 kilometres from central Amman and 35 kilometres from Zarqa and Queen Alia International Airport.