Ammon News - 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.