Namaa Center for Strategic Consultations conducted a public opinion poll about the new city project – Umrah City, to measure the general awareness and intentions of relocating to the new city. The poll targeted Jordanians living in the provinces of Amman, Zarqa, Balqa, and Madaba.
The poll was conducted through interviews held between December 14 and 16, 2025, on a representative sample with a final completed size of 709 respondents.
Results revealed an average level of awareness about the new city project, as 54 percent of Jordanians from the Central Region had heard about the project.
When provided with the official explanation about the project, 80.4 percent indicated that the project was important given its goals, where 67.7 percent noted that its importance lies in reducing population density, the traffic crisis, and service pressure in Amman and Zarqa. Meanwhile, 13.3 percent emphasized the importance of creating job opportunities to reduce unemployment, while 8 percent stated that this project constitutes an investment that will enhance the country's economic situation, and 5 percent said the project's importance is in planning for future generations, specifically focusing on technology, sports, and the environment.
As for those who stated that the project is not important, 32.6 percent of them attributed this to the area being far, while 30 percent emphasized that there are more important priorities like solving unemployment. Furthermore, 15 percent advised that it's better to focus on developing current cities and areas rather than creating new ones.
Results indicate a generally positive impression among Jordanians from the Central Region provinces about the anticipated outcomes of the project. In particular, 93 percent believe that the project will create new job opportunities, 90 percent think it will be an attractive investment destination, 84 percent believe that it will improve the general economic situation of the country in the long run, and 83 percent also think that it will reduce population congestion in crowded neighborhoods, and 80 percent agree that it will contribute to solving the traffic crisis in congested areas.
When asked about their readiness to move to the new city upon its opening, results were very close, with 47.7 percent of Jordanians from the Central Region stating they are willing to do so, citing various reasons such as availability of high-quality services, job opportunities, investment opportunities, affordability of housing there, moving away from population density and traffic crises, and the expected technological advances in the new city.
On the other hand, 47.4 percent indicated they were not willing to move to the new city, with most attributing this to reasons tied to their current places of residence, in addition to a very small percentage who see the area as distant and isolated lacking the services available in Jordanian cities, which means that the attractive reasons outweigh the repellent ones, which is proven by the survey results when 61.3 percent of Jordanians from the Central Region said they are willing to work in the new city and commute daily from their current residence.
Considering the factors that might encourage Jordanians in the Central Region to move to the new city, results indicate a mix of economic and service factors. When ranking these factors by importance, the availability of job opportunities in various fields came first as the most important factor that would encourage them to move to the new city, followed by the availability of sports, cultural, and entertainment facilities, advanced facilities equipped with the latest technology, modern transportation options, green spaces, schools and universities, and hospitals with high standards, and housing options at affordable prices for everyone.
Overall, 90.4 percent believe that if the project is successful, similar projects should be invested in other areas around the kingdom. When asked about the location that should be allocated for a similar project, 28 percent mentioned the southern provinces starting from the Desert Highway towards Karak, Tafilah, Ma'an, and Aqaba, while 21.4 percent said it should be in the Central Badia and Eastern Badia regions, and 13 percent among those who stated it should be in the northern provinces, focusing on the villages of Irbid and areas between Jerash and Ajloun, and 9 percent mentioned it should be in Zarqa, including the area between Dhlail and Azraq, along with other areas mentioned in lesser percentages. Conversely, 13 percent emphasized that location is not as important as contributing to improving the economy, creating job opportunities, and alleviating population and traffic congestion.
