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.