His Majesty King Abdullah II visited on Sunday the National Resources Investment and Development Corporation(MAWARED).

During the visit His Majesty was briefed by MAWARED's Director General Akram Abu Hamdan, about the Corporation's projects in Amman, and Zarqa.

"The development of major urban sites by MAWARED, in Amman, Zarqa and Aqaba, was inspired by the vision of his Majesty King Abdullah, who took the bold and pioneering decision to expedite the relocation of military installations out of the city centres, thus freeing prime and valuable land for development in support of the national economy,"said Abu Hamdan.

The Al-Abdali Urban Regeneration Project, a 34-hectare site represents an integrated mixed-use real estate development in the heart of the capital Amman. The project will be developed as the new downtown for Amman. It will evolve into a city centre offering a lifestyle of global connectivity and cultural significance, where a smart community will be able to live, work, learn and entertain.

The project is planned to support Jordan's drive towards the knowledge economy by providing an electronic infrastructure for a contemporary business and residential environment.

Mawared and SAUDI OGER, an actual model of a public-private partnership, are planning to create a rich mixture of commercial, educational and residential urban environment on the site, which effectively will become the new business hub for Amman. As an integrated development, the project will accommodate a variety of land usages, including serviced offices and apartments , shops, restaurants, sidewalks cafes, movies theatres, public plazas, gardens walkways, water features and other public amenities.

Al-Abdel Urban Regeneration project will also incorporate the urban campus of the American University of Jordan. The campus, as an anchor tenant, occupies 20 percent of the site, in addition to a commercial centre and King Hussein Memorial Library, all with emphasis on a pedestrian-friendly environment. A civic plaza on the east end of the site will also link three national landmark buildings adjoining the site: the Houses of the Parliament, the Palace of Justice and King Abdullah I Mosque.

Abu-Hamdan also talked about the Zarqa New Garden City Project which involves the development of the military camps site in Zarqa. The project is divided into six construction phases for a 2500-hectare site, out of which the pilot project constitutes 10 percent (250 hectare).

The pilot project represents the first phase of the implementation. The development of Zarqa New Garden City will provide a new residential district, set around a mix of commercial and recreational facilities.

The Zarqa New Garden City is the largest planned urban project in the history of Jordan. It will provide a new and comprehensive residential city served by a city centre and an infrastructure network including commercial, cultural, entertainment and public facilities. The commercial environment will include offices, restaurants, shops, open commercial plazas, recreational areas and other supporting facilities.

Bab Al-madina Souq, a gateway to the commercial heart of the 'Zarqa New Garden City' with 3.5km long pedestrian commercial spin, is located within a civic plaza which also accommodates the proposed Zarqa Grand Mosque. The Souq is easy accessible by road, public transport and pedestrian streets, and offers new and diverse retail outlets, including dining, entertainment and cultural facilities in a well-tempered indoor/outdoor environment.