Minister of Government Communications Faisal Shboul said that His Majesty King Abdullah and His Royal Highness Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II on Tuesday listened to a detailed presentation, by Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh ,on the new city project, indicating that His Majesty directed directed the government to form an advisory committee for the project and proceed with it.
He added that the government has formed a ministerial committee to oversee the project, and proceed with the establishment of a government-owned company to which ownership of land and government buildings that will be relocated to the new city, will be transferred to, with the exception of ministries and sovereign institutions.
With regard to the government’s contribution to the new city project, Shboul explained that the government pledged to contribute an amount of JD442 million, starting from the implementation of the project in 2025, at a rate of JD50 million annually.
He indicated that the government has allocated, starting this year, JD2 million, while the consultant will conduct more studies on the comprehensive and detailed master plan for the project, in preparation for its implementation.
Regarding the timeframe for the project implementing, Shboul said that this year will witness the development of detailed plans (the masterplan) for the project, which will be built entirely on government-owned lands, surrounded by state-owned lands, as well as the establishment of the wholly government-owned company.
He explained that the first phase of the project will start in 2025 and end in 2033, indicating that in 2028 government buildings will be completed, in preparation for their relocation, and the construction of housing units.
He said that the city is located 40 km from the center of Amman, 31 km from the city of Zarqa, and 27 km from Queen Alia International Airport, indicating that the new city is characterized by being planned in advance to accommodate the population increase in the central region, in light of the population pressure in Amman, and the city of Zarqa.
According to Shboul, the city will provide a new and modern environment by all standards, in which all facilities will be available, including entertainment venues and housing at reasonable prices for citizens. The city is expected to accommodate more than 157,000 people in the first phase, and is expected to reach 1 million people in the final phases that will end in 2050.
He noted that the new city is located within the borders of the capital, and not within the borders of the Amman Greater Municipality, and between two international lanes in the Badia region, linking Jordan with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Iraq, indicating that it will be a fully independent and self-contained city.
Shboul projected that the new city, during the construction phases, would accommodate 90,000 job opportunities, which would reflect positively on the labor and construction sector.
He added that the city project, according to studies and plans that are being prepared, will be sustainable and smart, using modern technology, characterized by efficient energy, transportation and water networks, encouraging green industries and providing business centers based on economic sectors, all of which constitute high values and high returns, and attract future growth in the growing population in the center of the Kingdom.
Source: Jordan News Agency