Jordan's House of Representatives on Monday approved, by majority vote, 20 additional articles of the 2026 draft amendments to the Real Property Law, bringing the total number of approved provisions to 27 out of the bill's 37 articles.
اضافة اعلان
During the session, chaired by Speaker Mazen Al-Qadi and attended by members of the government team, lawmakers approved Articles 8 through 20 of the draft law.
The House had previously approved five articles during a session on August 2, 2026, and approved the first article on July 28, bringing the cumulative number of endorsed provisions to 27.
Minister of State for Political and Parliamentary Affairs Abdul Moneim Al-Odat told lawmakers that the proposed amendments do not introduce entirely new provisions. Instead, they focus on a specific amendment allowing non-Jordanians to own land outside designated zoning areas solely for residential purposes, with a maximum area of 10 dunums.
He explained that the legal provisions should be interpreted collectively, noting that the principal amendment introduces a dedicated clause regulating foreign ownership of residential land outside zoning boundaries while renumbering the remaining paragraphs accordingly.
Addressing concerns raised by several lawmakers regarding foreign ownership in border, archaeological, and historical areas, Al-Odat stressed that the existing law already prohibits ownership in such locations. He emphasized that these areas remain exempt under the law and are unaffected by the amendment, which is limited to residential use.
Minister of Local Administration Walid Al-Masri said the latest amendments concerning foreign ownership of real estate are intended to address existing regulatory challenges and encourage residential investment while safeguarding agricultural land and property ownership.
He explained that previous legislation prevented foreigners from purchasing independent residential units in gated residential communities (compounds) around Amman and other governorates, including projects in Al-Jeezah and Nadour, restricting purchases primarily to investment or industrial purposes.
Al-Masri added that limiting foreign ownership for personal residential use to 10 dunums aims to prevent excessive acquisition of large land parcels. Under previous regulations, foreign investors often had to seek Cabinet exemptions to purchase areas of up to 100 or 200 dunums simply to build a countryside home.
He said the amendment aligns with regulations allowing subdivision of land outside zoning areas in governorates such as Jerash and Ajloun, where the minimum subdivision area is two dunums. This would enable foreigners to purchase up to 10 dunums to build a private residence while using the surrounding land for agriculture without harming agricultural resources or fragmenting land ownership in rural and forested areas such as Zi, Jalaad, Barqash, and parts of Balqa, Jerash, and Ajloun.
According to Al-Masri, the amendments serve two key objectives: regulating ownership in rural residential compounds and protecting agricultural land from excessive non-investment-related ownership.
Among the approved provisions, lawmakers endorsed an amendment to Article 16, granting the Committee for the Removal of Common Ownership the authority to seize property, sale proceeds, financial differences, and related expenses to enforce its decisions.
The House also approved an amendment to Article 17, allowing the temporary subdivision of a building, floor, or apartment and permitting the Department of Land and Survey to issue an official certificate detailing the unit and the area intended for subdivision. The certificate may be used as an approved document for financing the purchase of such units.
In Article 18, lawmakers approved a provision allowing non-Jordanians and legal entities to own or lease real estate for their own or their family's residence, with a land area not exceeding 10 dunums, subject to a decision by the Minister of Finance based on the recommendation of the Director General of the Department of Land and Survey.
The House further approved an amendment to Article 19, transferring the authority to approve property ownership for legal entities engaged in financial leasing activities from the Minister of Finance to the Director General of the Department of Land and Survey, provided the property is located within zoning boundaries and used exclusively for financial leasing.
Another approved amendment, added to Article 22, allows non-Jordanians and legal entities to change the purpose for which they own a property to another approved purpose listed in their registration documents, subject to justified reasons and approval by the Minister of Finance upon the recommendation of the department's director.
Lawmakers also amended Article 27, requiring negotiations between the acquiring authority and the property owner over compensation while capping any increase at 10% above the value determined by the Department of Land and Survey at the time of expropriation. Any agreement must be documented in writing and approved by the relevant authority depending on the acquiring entity.
The parliamentary Legal Committee approved the draft legislation on July 19, 2026.
The Council of Ministers had originally approved the draft amendments in July 2023 to modernize the Real Property Law. The legislation aims to enable the Department of Land and Survey to process and approve most transactions electronically, except property transfer contracts, and to authorize valuation committees to assess property values based on defined standards.
The bill also authorizes 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.
In addition, the amendments are 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.
Source: Petra News Agency (Mahmoud Khattatbeh).
