Amman, August 4 (Petra) – The Lower House of Parliament on Tuesday
approved the amended Real Estate Ownership Law of 2026, which
includes 37 articles, following discussions over several sessions.

The approval came during a session chaired by Lower House Speaker
Mazen Qadi, attended by Prime Minister Jafar Hassan and members of
the government team. The Lower House approved the remaining articles
of the draft law, after endorsing 20 articles on Monday, five
articles on Sunday, and the first article last week.

Minister of Political and Parliamentary Affairs Abdul-Moneim Odat
said the amendments aim to ensure citizens receive fair compensation
when their properties are expropriated for public benefit purposes.

He explained that compensation assessments will continue to rely on
the administrative price, based on established rulings by the Court
of Cassation’s General Assembly, while taking into account factors
affecting property value, including location, area, zoning, and other
relevant characteristics.

Under the amendments, the assessed value will also be compared with
the actual sales prices of similar neighboring properties registered
with the Department of Lands and Survey, with the higher value
adopted to ensure fair compensation.

The Lower House approved a proposal submitted by MP Mustafa Amawi to
increase the additional compensation margin for expropriated
properties from 10 percent to 20 percent of the estimated value,
based on the average of the last three sales of the same or similar
adjacent properties.

The amendments also introduced an exemption for expropriations
related to completing the construction of existing railway lines,
while setting clearer criteria for property valuation and
compensation procedures.

Minister of Local Administration Walid Masri said the government has
reached understandings with the company concerned over Jordan Valley
and potash lands, including allocating alternative lands or providing
compensation if the proposed solutions are not accepted.

The Lower House also approved amendments requiring expropriation
compensation notices to be published on the Department of Lands and
Survey’s website and in two daily newspapers. Minister of Government
Communication Mohammad Momani said the government supports
maintaining publication in print newspapers due to their role in
supporting national media institutions.

The approved amendments grant the Director of the Department of Lands
and Survey authority to issue instructions regulating payment methods
in real estate transactions, including setting limits on cash
payments and identifying approved electronic payment methods.

The Lower House also endorsed amendments related to agricultural
units in the Jordan Valley, stipulating that registered agricultural
units will be subject to the provisions governing the removal of
joint ownership, while maintaining the applicability of the Jordan
Valley Development Law where relevant.

The Parliamentary Legal Committee approved the draft law on July 19,
2026. The Cabinet had approved the draft amendments in July 2023,
which aim to facilitate electronic real estate services, improve
property valuation procedures, support investment, and safeguard the
rights of parties involved in land transactions.

//Petra// AJ