Amman: The newly launched Amra City project is emerging as a landmark opportunity to apply cutting-edge urban planning technologies, integrating smart networks, digital infrastructure, e-governance, youth empowerment, and sustainable urban design, according to experts in engineering technology, planning, and infrastructure.
According to Jordan News Agency, specialists have noted that this integrated vision positions Amra City to become a Jordanian and regional model for smart, sustainable urban development, potentially serving as a reference across the Middle East. Shaker Khleif, an engineer and specialist in engineering technology applications, emphasized the importance of adopting a smart electrical grid from the outset. This will establish a flexible and efficient backbone for energy management.
Khleif mentioned that the project will utilize a hybrid energy model, combining large-scale solar farms, rooftop solar panels, and diverse renewable sources to ensure sustainable energy supply while reducing emissions. The city’s digital backbone, including fiber optics, Internet-of-Things networks, centralized data management, and digital twinning, will function as its neural system. A dedicated data authority is deemed essential to manage information and uphold privacy and cybersecurity standards.
Urban planning expert Lina Shabib highlighted the necessity of affordable housing for young people and the middle class, suggesting the allocation of land parcels of varying densities along mass-transit corridors. She indicated that the city would offer diverse housing options, such as small and mid-size apartments, youth housing, long-term rentals, and gradual ownership through subsidized financing schemes.
Infrastructure specialist Fawzi Massad emphasized that the first phase of Amra City represents the project’s structural cornerstone, incorporating strategic facilities and essential services to serve the population through 2050 and beyond. He noted that a master-planned city allows for legislation to precede construction, transport networks to be designed ahead of congestion, and urban growth to follow sustainability and smart-city principles.
Massad also pointed out that early phases will attract a targeted population, primarily young people, through job opportunities in technical, service, and administrative fields, which will form the city’s economic backbone. Government ownership of large land areas eliminates constraints faced by major cities, facilitating affordable land provision for youth and diverse housing options supported by accessible financing schemes.
He stressed the importance of aligning major projects with the city’s smart identity and enforcing strict financial and environmental standards, aiming for Amra City to become a leading regional example of balanced investment, sustainability, and quality of life.