Jordan’s House of Representatives will resume deliberations on the 2026 draft amendments to the Real Property Law on Tuesday, beginning with Article 28. Following the parliamentary session, the House Administrative Committee will continue reviewing and approving the provisions of the 2026 Local Administration Bill.
On Monday, lawmakers approved 20 additional articles of the draft Real Property Law by majority vote. The bill contains a total of 37 articles.
The House had previously approved six articles of the bill after the parliamentary Legal Committee endorsed the draft legislation on July 19, 2026.
Originally approved by the Council of Ministers in July 2023 and referred to Parliament, the draft law aims to enable the Department of Land and Survey to receive and approve most transactions electronically, excluding property transfer contracts. It also authorizes valuation committees to assess property values according to defined standards.
The proposed legislation would further empower the Cabinet to transfer state-owned land to public investment funds or government-owned companies to support their operations or contribute land as in-kind equity to investment projects.
The bill also includes measures designed to encourage investment by easing certain restrictions on property ownership and protecting the rights of parties involved in property division cases, including the right to participate in public auctions.
During Monday’s session, Minister of State for Political and Parliamentary Affairs Abdul Moneim Al-Odat said the amendments introduce no entirely new legal provisions but instead focus on allowing non-Jordanians to own land outside zoning boundaries exclusively for residential purposes, with a maximum area of 10 dunums.
He emphasized that the legal provisions should be interpreted as a whole, explaining that the principal amendment adds a specific clause regulating foreign ownership for residential use outside zoning areas while renumbering the remaining provisions accordingly.
Addressing concerns raised by lawmakers over foreign ownership in border, archaeological, and historical areas, Al-Odat stressed that the existing law already prohibits ownership in such locations. He noted that these areas remain exempt under the law and are unaffected by the amendment.
Minister of Local Administration Walid Al-Masri said the amendments are intended to resolve existing regulatory issues, encourage residential investment, and preserve agricultural land and property ownership.
He explained that previous legislation prevented foreigners from purchasing independent residential units in gated communities around Amman and other governorates, including developments in Al-Jeezah and Nadour, limiting ownership primarily to investment and industrial purposes.
Al-Masri added that limiting foreign ownership for personal residential use to 10 dunums is intended to prevent excessive acquisition of large land parcels. He noted that under previous regulations, foreign investors often had to seek Cabinet approval to purchase areas of up to 100 or 200 dunums simply to build a rural residence.
He said the amendment is consistent with regulations permitting land subdivision outside zoning boundaries in governorates such as Jerash and Ajloun, where the minimum subdivision size is two dunums. This would allow foreigners to purchase up to 10 dunums for a private residence while using the surrounding land for agricultural purposes without harming farmland or fragmenting ownership in rural and forested areas.
According to Al-Masri, the amendments pursue two primary objectives: regulating ownership in rural residential communities and protecting agricultural land from excessive ownership unrelated to productive investment.
Local Administration Bill
Following the parliamentary session, the House Administrative Committee will continue examining the 2026 Local Administration Bill, which aims to strengthen local governance, improve the quality of public services, expand community participation, and enhance municipalities’ role in development and investment to stimulate local economies across Jordan’s governorates.
The draft law also defines the responsibilities of municipal councils and executive bodies to prevent overlapping powers and strengthen accountability while maintaining the direct and secret election of municipal council chairpersons and members.
In addition, the bill seeks to improve development and investment planning by ensuring representation of elected bodies and less-developed areas, promoting a more equitable distribution of development projects and opportunities.
The legislation further emphasizes automation and digital transformation by requiring executive administrations to publish regular reports on financial and administrative performance, as well as project implementation, through official platforms to enhance transparency and strengthen public trust.
