Khaberni - Amman is witnessing a new phase of urban organization after approving amendments to the building system to update legislations and meet its growing needs. The amendments involve granting a time period to settle violations of buildings existing before the beginning of the current year, with significant reductions on the accrued fees, and intensifying engineering supervision on buildings to ensure compliance with the national building code.
Although this step reflects an institutional will to develop the legal urban framework, challenges still exist, especially with a large number of old and informal buildings that are not officially classified as dilapidated but are exposed to increasing risks due to poor maintenance or unwise structural interventions.
Moreover, the lack of field monitoring in some areas raises questions about the effectiveness of these measures on the ground, and what will happen after the granted period for correcting violations expires.
Here, the importance of community awareness and the role of citizens in reporting risks and taking preventive measures emerges, in addition to the responsibility of engineering offices and the private sector in assessing the safety of buildings.
Amendments to the Building System in Amman
Head of the Architectural Engineering Division at the Engineers Union, Imad Al-Dabas, stated that the government has approved a new amendment to the building and regulation system in the city of Amman for the year 2025, as part of its efforts to update urban legislations to meet the needs of the capital. Accordingly, a grace period was granted to settle building violations that were constructed before the beginning of January last year, allowing their owners to legalise their status.
The decisions included reductions on fees related to those violations, reaching up to 75% in some cases within the Greater Amman Municipality, and incorporation of buildings constructed in the same year, within the period of grievance and correction.
Al-Dabas mentioned that the Municipality emphasized the necessity of complying with the national building code and intensifying engineering supervision on both existing and new buildings to ensure they meet technical and structural standards. He considered this legislative step as reflecting an institutional will to develop the legal urban framework, yet the challenges still exist, notably the presence of a large number of old buildings that are not officially classified as "dilapidated," although poor maintenance or misuse could increase their risks, and among other challenges, gaps in practical application and engineering monitoring in some areas.
He affirmed that the Union plays a crucial role in auditing engineering plans according to the regulations and codes issued by the National Building Council, participating in the monitoring committees and conducting periodic inspections of projects to ensure the implementation matches the approved plans.
Addressing Building Problems
The city management expert, Fawzi Masad, asserted that addressing the problems of buildings prone to collapse does not happen overnight but requires long-term work and coordination between the concerned entities. He explained that dealing with these issues usually occurs momentarily after accidents happen, where immediate measures are taken, and then the file is set aside, while the real solution requires a comprehensive plan and a gradual intervention involving everyone.
Masad pointed out that the government alone cannot completely end the problem, as community awareness plays a pivotal role, stating "a citizen living in a house suffering from structural dangers must recognize the risks and take preventive measures, especially as there may be simple and inexpensive solutions."
He highlighted that municipalities and the Ministry of Public Works cannot enter every house to detect its structural flaws, imposing a fundamental role on engineering offices and the private sector in assessing risks and providing technical advice. He noted that buildings have collapsed, not only due to aging but also due to improper human interventions, such as digging under foundations, making unwise modifications to structural elements, or adding floors without engineering supervision, leading to weakening and collapse of the building.
He added that there are old buildings that were originally constructed in violation of engineering principles or built informally without permits, making them more prone to risks.
Old Areas and Special Challenges
Masad mentioned that old neighborhoods in Zarqa have witnessed previous collapses due to informal construction and lack of supervision. He explained that while municipalities do not inspect periodically, they can follow up with building owners and request expert engineers to check their safety, identifying specific areas at risk and asking their owners for safety reports.
Masad stressed the importance of licensing as a fundamental step to ensure the safety of buildings, as it allows having a responsible engineer provide a certificate confirming the structural safety of the building. He called for enhancing awareness campaigns about unlicensed buildings, which are often built quickly, at inappropriate times, and without engineering supervision. He emphasized that the success of any plan depends on the citizens' awareness and cooperation, noting that "the responsibility does not fall on the state alone, but it is a collective effort required to ensure the safety of lives and properties."
He called for organizing a campaign in cooperation with the Union and the Engineering Offices Authority to encourage citizens to check buildings at nominal prices.
Neglecting the Role of "Geologists"
Dean of Geologists Khalid Al-Shawabkeh criticized the marginalization of the Geologists Union from key files related to building safety, asserting that this occurs intentionally by some entities. He clarified that there is a special system for geological offices, including essential tasks such as site surveying, and soil testing to determine its capacity to support buildings, yet this system has not been implemented so far.
Al-Shawabkeh noted that the absence of implementing the system of geological offices has led to the accumulation of dangerous structural errors in many projects. He explained that the Ministry of Public Works and other ministries have started implementing this system partially, mentioning that the Union had several meetings with "Public Works" in the past, and an agreement was reached that recognizes about 13 geological specialties within engineering projects.
