Jordan Overhauls Real Estate Law to Ease Expropriation and Investment

Jordan’s Senate joint committee approved the Real Estate Ownership Law of 2026 on Sunday, the Jordan News Agency reported. The legislation rewrites the rules for land expropriation, compensation, and judicial oversight. It is meant to support infrastructure projects, improve investment conditions, and modernize the country’s real estate market.

The new law is not abstract. Jordan is planning the Southern Ghor railway, a line that may require expropriating land along its route. Land acquisition is often the most contested part of such projects. The legal framework for taking private property will shape how that project proceeds — and how property owners are treated when it does.

The joint committee, made up of the legal and finance committees, was chaired by Senator Rajai Muasher. It reviewed a bill referred by the Lower House. Under Article 11, the Cabinet would have authority to expropriate land. Affected owners keep the right to object and to seek judicial oversight.

Muasher described the railway as strategically important. He said it could support economic activity, transportation, and trade. He also said the law would preserve the rights of citizens whose property is affected.

The committee attached conditions to its approval. It recommended using state-owned land first for major infrastructure, and limiting private expropriation to necessary cases. Project routes should steer clear of tourist areas and environmentally sensitive land. Wadi Rum was named specifically. The committee also asked for regulations with clear principles for fair compensation, standardized valuation criteria, and greater transparency to protect property owners. It called for stronger procedures in joint-ownership cases and specialized training for officials who will carry out the law.

Beyond expropriation, the draft law aims to modernize Jordan’s real estate market. The Department of Lands and Survey would collect and analyze market data, then publish periodic reports and performance indicators. Land and property services would be digitalized: electronic transactions, signatures, online applications, digital documents and notifications, and electronic payments. Buyers could purchase or subdivide buildings off-plan before construction, subject to applicable requirements. Non-Jordanian residents could own property outside designated development zones under specific conditions. Financial leasing would be treated as a temporary form of ownership. Approval procedures would be accelerated.

The law also strengthens legal certainty around expropriated properties, with revised ownership-transfer periods, clearer compensation rules, and judicial oversight. For a market that depends on predictable property rights, those details matter as much as the headline reforms.

Before the legislation is implemented, the committee urged the government to consult stakeholders. That, in effect, is the next test: whether the law’s promise of balance survives contact with practice.