The government’s launch of the Amra City project is not merely an announcement of a new urban landscape. It represents a strategic step demonstrating a deep understanding of the magnitude of population and economic challenges Jordan will face over the next quarter-century. What has been unveiled under the Amra City project is not typical urban expansion, but the institutionalization of a new model of urban planning that opens an entirely different chapter in Jordan’s approach to population growth and sustainable development.

 

The demographic indicators revealed by the government are clear and worrying given the circumstances: if population growth continues along the current trajectory, the number of residents in Amman and Zarqa alone will swell to 11 million within 25 years.

 

The problem is evident; the two cities, at their current population levels, are barely coping with pressure on all sectors, including transport, housing, services, healthcare, education and even quality of life. This is where the Amra project comes in—a fully planned new space from scratch, offering Jordan a rare opportunity to reshape urban life according to modern standards, rather than react belatedly to accumulated crises.

 

Prime Minister Jafar Hassan launched the Amra City project on Saturday as a long-term urban development initiative aimed at managing population growth, creating investment opportunities and providing sustainable living solutions for future generations. Following directives from His Majesty King Abdullah in the Letter of Designation, the mega project is planned over 25 years and is intended as a model city rather than a new administrative capital.

 

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 certain components scheduled for completion within two years.

 

Amra City is envisioned as a green, technologically advanced city that relies on clean energy, modern public transport and digital infrastructure. An advisory council of young Jordanian experts in architecture, arts, environment, energy, sustainability, real estate development and technology will contribute to shaping its design.

 

Amra City represents a shift in urban planning in Jordan: cities are now planned before people reside in them, infrastructure is prepared before facilities are built and the economy is developed before the population inhabits the area. This makes Amra City the first city in Jordan to be fully designed as an integrated system that considers the environment, climate, public transport, economic development, and green spaces.

 

The scale of the project clearly transcends the idea of a “new city,” evolving instead into a massive “economic engine.” According to various sectors, Amra City will be one of the largest job-generating projects for decades, particularly in construction.

 

Amra City is not intended as an extension of Amman or Zarqa, nor merely as a large housing project. It is a green economic city providing a new lifestyle based on public transport, open spaces, recycling up to 90 per cent of generated waste, and the use of clean energy. The city is planned to connect to the Bus Rapid Transit system once the first phase is completed by 2029.

 

Knowledge economy is also a central component. ICT experts note that the city will serve as a platform for digital innovation, with smart infrastructure relying on clean energy, the Internet of Things, AI, and cybersecurity. An advanced technology hub, educational city, and specialized industrial-tech zones will attract local and regional companies seeking a stable, well-organized environment, while fostering a new generation of startups.

 

The first phase (2026–2029) demonstrates the project’s ambition, including an Olympic sports city, an international stadium, a large eco-park, a world-class exhibitions and conferences center, an entertainment park, museums, an educational city, and a technology center, among other major components.

 

The significance of Amra City today lies not merely in meeting housing demand, but in its vision to build a future capable of absorbing economic and demographic challenges, while serving as a center that can redistribute economic activity from the heart of Amman and Zarqa to the eastern regions of the Kingdom. It is a bold attempt to create a new reality rather than succumb to the pressures of the existing situation.