Joe Hattab Returns to Jordan for Documentary Tour Showcasing the Kingdom to the World

Jordanian travel filmmaker and content creator Jihad Hattab, widely known as Joe Hattab, has returned to Jordan for a documentary tour aimed at showcasing the Kingdom’s archaeological, natural and cultural attractions to audiences around the world.اضافة اعلان

The visit, which is taking place at the invitation of the Jordan Tourism Board, includes the production of visual content documenting a number of Jordanian destinations and tourism experiences. Hattab began the tour in Wadi Rum, before moving to the ancient city of Petra. 

Hattab’s return has attracted significant attention online, particularly after his coverage of Petra generated millions of views across social media platforms.

Petra reaches millions online

Three videos featuring Petra that Hattab published on Instagram generated more than 13.3 million views in a single day, according to Petra.

The three videos received approximately 3.8 million, 4.3 million and 5.2 million views, respectively. Together, they also generated more than 30,000 comments, in addition to tens of thousands of shares, with engagement coming from followers in different countries and linguistic backgrounds.

The figures highlight the reach that travel content can achieve when major destinations are presented through digital platforms, particularly to younger audiences who increasingly encounter tourism destinations through social media.

Hattab’s approach combines documentary storytelling with cinematic photography, offering viewers visual perspectives of the sites he visits and presenting destinations beyond traditional tourism promotion.

From Wadi Rum to Petra

Wadi Rum was the starting point of Hattab’s current Jordan tour, where he began filming new documentary material highlighting the Kingdom’s natural landscapes and tourism potential.

He then moved to Petra, one of Jordan’s most prominent archaeological destinations, where his videos brought the Rose City’s landscapes and landmarks to millions of viewers.

The tour is part of a wider effort to document Jordan’s diverse tourism experiences through digital storytelling, connecting the country’s archaeological heritage and natural landscapes with international audiences.

Meeting Crown Prince Hussein

During his visit, Hattab also met Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II on September 17 in Amman.

Hattab shared photographs of the meeting on his social media accounts, captioning them, “With the Prince of Youth.” Jordanian media reported that the meeting took place during Hattab’s ongoing tour to document tourism and heritage sites across the Kingdom.

The meeting also brought attention to the role of young Jordanian creators in presenting the country and its identity through contemporary digital platforms.
A global digital audience

Hattab has built a substantial international following through his travel documentaries and visual storytelling.

His official website describes him as a documentary filmmaker and world explorer. It says he was born in Jordan, raised in Saudi Arabia and is now based in Dubai. His journey into documentary filmmaking began after leaving his corporate job in 2016 and travelling through Asia, eventually developing into a broader documentary operation covering destinations and cultures around the world.

Petra reported earlier this month that Hattab's combined audience across YouTube, Instagram and Facebook exceeded **41.7 million followers**, including around 21 million on YouTube, 7.7 million on Instagram and 13 million on Facebook at the time of its report.

This large audience gives his Jordan coverage the potential to introduce the Kingdom's destinations to viewers who may have had limited exposure to the country through traditional tourism channels.
 Digital storytelling and Jordan's tourism image

Hattab's tour comes as tourism authorities and industry figures increasingly highlight the role of digital creators in promoting destinations.

Chairman of the Parliamentary Tourism and Antiquities Committee MP Engineer Salem Al-Omari praised Hattab's efforts to highlight Jordan's archaeological, natural and tourism sites, describing national content as an important component of tourism promotion.

The Petra coverage demonstrates how a single destination can rapidly reach audiences beyond traditional tourism networks. Rather than relying solely on conventional promotional campaigns, cinematic travel documentaries can present locations through personal experiences, landscapes, local culture and visual narratives.

For Jordan, the significance of the current tour extends beyond Petra and Wadi Rum. The broader objective is to document the country's diversity and present its tourism experiences through a format designed for a global digital audience.

As Hattab continues his tour, his footage is expected to add further digital visibility to Jordan's archaeological heritage, natural landscapes and cultural experiences, placing familiar destinations in front of a new generation of potential visitors through one of the world's most influential forms of travel discovery: online video.