Amman, December 14 (Petra) – The Cabinet approved in a session Sunday a series of major decisions covering urban development, water security, investment facilitation, social protection, education, food security and environmental management.
The Cabinet tasked the Ministry of Public Works and Housing with proceeding with tendering procedures for engineering studies, designs and tender documents for several core components of the Amra City project.
The components include the King Abdullah II Sports City race track and Olympic halls, the International Exhibition and Convention Centre and roads and infrastructure works.
The Jordanian Company for Developing Cities and Government Facilities will manage, monitor and facilitate implementation. Work is scheduled to begin early next year and continue through 2029.
The Amra City project, launched by Prime Minister Jafar Hassan in late November, represents a new model for urban development and long-term population growth management.
Its first phase will cover 40,000 dunams out of a total planned area of 500,000 dunams.
In a related decision, the Cabinet approved incentives, exemptions and facilitations for the National Water Carrier project, recognising it as a strategic national priority.
All project supplies will be subject to a zero percent general and special sales tax, and the government will bear income tax, withholding tax, national contribution, customs duties, service fees and temporary import fees for project-related vehicles, machinery and equipment.
The project aims to desalinate 300 million cubic meters of Red Sea water annually, benefiting around 4 million people and is considered a cornerstone of Jordan's national water security strategy.
To stimulate investment and simplify procedures, the Cabinet approved amendments to the 2025 Building and Urban and Rural Planning Regulations.
The amendments ease licensing conditions for investment projects, reduce parking fees for small plots, increase the permitted building area outside designated zoning areas from 10% to 15% and extend deadlines for licensing buildings in violation of regulations.
They exempt judicial subdivision and removal of joint ownership transactions from occupancy permit requirements.
The Cabinet approved regulations governing the leasing and ownership of real estate outside the Petra Archaeological Reserve and other archaeological sites within the Petra Development and Tourism Region.
The regulations aim to revive development while safeguarding archaeological sites, allowing only Jordanian legal entities under specific conditions and subjecting all transactions to strict oversight and Cabinet approval.
As part of tax administration reforms, the Cabinet approved the settlement of 905 outstanding tax cases between taxpayers and the Income and Sales Tax Department, easing burdens on businesses and investors.
In the social sector, the Cabinet endorsed the draft Aftercare Bylaw for Graduates of Shelters for 2025, paving the way for its enactment.
The Bylaw establishes a comprehensive framework to support orphans and individuals without family support after leaving care facilities, including education, vocational training, housing and psychological and social support.
In education, the Cabinet approved new criteria for determining school fees for non-Jordanian students in public schools, based on actual costs.
The decision exempts several categories, including students in grades one through six, children of Jordanian women married to non-Jordanians, Gaza residents and UNHCR-registered refugees.
Fees for other non-Jordanian students will be set at JOD300 per semester, with revenues allocated to improving public education.
The Cabinet approved the 2026 wheat and barley purchasing plan to maintain strategic reserves sufficient for 10 months and ensure stable bread prices.
In social assistance, the Cabinet approved a one-time winter payment for more than 248,000 families benefiting from the National Aid Fund, at a total cost of approximately JOD5 million, to be disbursed from the 2025 budget.
The Cabinet decided to form a steering committee, chaired by the Minister of Environment, to prepare and oversee an executive programme for reducing indiscriminate waste dumping for 2026–2027, including awareness campaigns and stricter enforcement.
In other decisions, the Cabinet referred the Director General of the Vocational Training Corporation, Ahmed Gharaibeh, to retirement.
//Petra// AK
