Khaberni - Local Administration Minister Walid Al-Masri confirmed on Saturday that the Umrah city project is the first Jordanian city with an integrated urban plan that represents a qualitative leap in urban development methodology. It relies for the first time on planning before habitation and the establishment of economic facilities, ensuring an improvement in the quality of life and attracting local and foreign investments.
The government today launched the Umrah city project, a new model in urban development and long-term population growth management. It adheres to sustainability and modernity standards, opening promising investment and economic opportunities. It is the core of a futuristic model city for the youth and the next generation, with meticulous organization and planning, extending over 25 years and transcending governments.
Al-Masri told "Al-Mamlaka" that Umrah city enjoys a strategic location on an important logistical road network; it is situated on the Muwaqqar-Azraq-Al-Omari road, and the Zarqa-Free Zone-Azraq road, 93 kilometers away from the Jabar border center. It's close to Maduna and southeast Amman, and the cities of Zarqa and Ruseifa, and the capital, with the distance from Amman to the project site between 40-55 minutes, and from Zarqa about 40 minutes.
He added that all lands of the project are owned by the state treasury for the benefit of the Jordanian Investment Fund, while the urban and facility development company will serve as the executive arm of the project in partnership with the private sector, both local and foreign. He pointed out that financing major projects would strongly boost the construction sector linked with over 60 sectors, additionally fostering economic development through projects that require extensive areas not available in the current cities.
He noted that since the lands are owned by the treasury, this eases investment and reduces expropriation costs. Economic facilities in the city will also be connected with modern transportation means, not just the well-known logistical roads.
He explained that the government had carried out a full year of legal, urban, and technical studies, consulting with over 20 workshops with experts in urban planning, economics, finance, and engineering, to achieve the best governance model. Consequently, it was decided that the Jordanian Investment Fund would play a principal role due to the incentives it offers, which surpass the investment environment law, and establishing an executive arm capable of forming partnerships and establishing subsidiaries to manage developmental facilities.
Al-Masri confirmed that the new city would be a green city that takes into consideration environmental requirements and climate change, where it will rely on clean energy and treat sewage water for reuse, in addition to applying advanced management of solid waste through complete recycling. Furthermore, specialized regulations council will be entitled to formulate regulations related to the planning rules considering the needs of investors.
The first phase, lasting from 2026 to 2029, includes productive investment projects like an international convention and exhibition center to be completed in 2027, a comprehensive sports city including an international football stadium by 2029 and an Olympic city adjacent to it, equipped halls meeting Olympic standards for various sports such as basketball, handball, volleyball, combat sports, tennis, and athletics, and a car racing track, in addition to an exemplary environmental park on an area no less than 1000 dunams, and an entertainment city finished by 2028 according to the highest specifications, commercial and service areas, an educational city, and a technology center investing in the education sector, alongside allocating museums and facilities for cultural events including an expansion of the Royal Car Museum, with these projects being funded through foreign and local investment.
Al-Masri pointed out that the distance between the city center and its outskirts would not exceed 5 kilometers, approximately 50 minutes by foot, along with modern transportation infrastructure connecting it to other cities.
He added that planning for the second phase will begin after the completion of the first phase, with participation from real estate developers, indicating an allocation of 20,000 dunams in the southeast side to the Housing and Urban Development Corporation to prepare low-cost infrastructure for workers and retirees.
Al-Masri confirmed that the city includes educational areas that may be dedicated to technology, and others to technical tourism, within a new vision based on creating job opportunities in construction, services, and economic centers around the city.
