A Sensitive Issue No One Talks About

There is a sensitive issue that no one discusses in this country, perhaps because we are preoccupied with the Strait of Hormuz, the fate of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, and the drought affecting Britain.

Would anyone in this country dare to come forward and talk to us about the necessary solutions to stop the exodus from various Jordanian cities to the capital? This phenomenon is not the result of prosperity or an abundance and diversity of opportunities.

Rather, it reflects the difficult living conditions, the lack of opportunities, and the absence of development in the northern and southern cities, amid a lack of fairness, the failure to establish suitable projects for the people of the governorates, low employment, and the largely absent role of the private sector in investing in most Jordanian cities particularly Karak, Tafileh, Ma’an, Ramtha, Ajloun, Irbid and Salt, as well as the three Badia regions and the Jordan Valley. All of this is pushing people from most governorates to leave.

This is not a criticism of their move to Amman. It is their country, their capital, and they have every right to live and work wherever they choose.

But we are talking about an entirely different matter: the absence of development in many areas, leaving people with no alternative but to leave.

It is enough to look at the numbers of unemployed men and women in Amman and the other governorates figures that are rising noticeably and consistently every year.

According to estimates by the Department of Statistics at the end of 2025, the population of Amman Governorate stood at around 5,004,600, accounting for approximately 42% of the Kingdom’s total population of nearly 11.93 million. This figure has certainly increased during 2026 as well.

I know young people from the southern governorates who found jobs in Amman, for example, and rent apartments together, sometimes with more than six people sharing one apartment in order to split the rent.

They also pay transportation costs and get caught up in Amman’s traffic, while spending additional money traveling back to their families every week or from time to time.

When you ask one of them whether he is financially better off, he says no. His salary is divided here and there.

If the job he found in Amman had been available in his hometown, he would not have had to pay rent or deal with traffic and transportation costs, and he would have been able to kiss his mother and father’s hands every day.

Government agencies are making efforts to launch major projects in Jordan, and there is a serious focus on the development situation in the governorates. While these efforts are appreciated, we need a different approach.

Cities, villages, and areas outside the capital must be developed in a different way, through partnerships between the public and private sectors, joint-stock companies, Social Security funds, and by attracting investment, so that the standard response is no longer that governments can no longer provide jobs because of the burden of salaries and pressure on the treasury.
This requires alternative solutions in the form of small and medium-sized enterprises.

Every Jordanian has the right to work in their governorate, in Amman, or anywhere else they choose.

There is no debate over this except from one perspective: the need to pay attention to unemployment in the governorates, the state of development, and the need to rethink planning in all areas outside the capital. This is essential to protect social cohesion and strengthen development, so that leaving becomes a choice rather than a necessity.

Migration from peripheral areas and regions outside the capital to the capital is a phenomenon seen in many countries and is not unique to Jordan.

However, it is a dangerous phenomenon that leads to the abandonment of agricultural land, declining development, and a loss of prospects. It also creates hardship in the capital through higher living costs, traffic congestion, and other problems associated with major cities.

For this reason, we once again call on those concerned to pay attention to the social and living conditions in the governorates and address many of the setbacks they are experiencing.

What we want is a dignified life and opportunities for the people of Jordan. This is their right, first and foremost.

At the same time, we want to strengthen the demographic presence throughout the country in the face of regional plans that may lie ahead, without forgetting how the identity of many cities outside the capital has changed as a result of migration from other Arab countries and economic circumstances.

If I had the means, I would not remain in Amman for another hour, I would go far away, to the north or the south.