Ammon News - The local construction sector saw a notable acceleration in January, with total licensed building area expanding by 16.9% year-on-year, propelled by a significant surge in non-residential development, according to the Department of Statistics.

Aggregate licensed building area reached 839,000 square meters in January, up from 718,000 square meters in January 2024. The total number of building permits issued rose by 5.6% to 1,920.

Analyzing permit issuance by classification, residential permits saw a marginal 2% contraction to 579,000 square meters, while non-residential permits registered a substantial 104.6% increase to 260,000 square meters, indicating heightened demand for commercial and industrial real estate.

The Central Region remained the dominant contributor to overall permit activity, albeit with its share declining by 8.3% year-on-year to 67.7%. The Southern Region exhibited the most significant growth, with permit issuance increasing by 75.3% to comprise 12.8% of the total.

In terms of residential permit density at the governorate level, Jerash recorded the highest per capita issuance at 0.076 square meters, while Madaba registered the lowest at 0.016 square meters.

New construction and additions represented 65.2% of total permitted area, totaling 546,000 square meters, a 13% increase from the prior year. Permits for existing structures accounted for the remaining 34.8%. Petra