The building industry in Jordan showed considerable growth during the first half of 2001.  A statistical bulletin issued by the Central Bank of Jordan states that 9,221 building permits covering a total area of 2.63 million square meters were issued during the first six months of 2001.  This is a 16% rise in the number of building permits and a 27% rise in the overall licensed building areas in comparison to the first half of 2000.  About 91% of the permits and 84% of the areas licensed for building are for residential purposes.

The Government Tenders Directorate (GTD) at the Jordanian Ministry of Public Works and Housing published its 2000 Yearbook.  The seven-chapter book, which is issued in Arabic, includes information on GTD's administration and strategies, evaluation procedures for bids, construction activities, awarded tenders, qualified architectural and engineering firms and contracting companies, and guiding prices of items included in selected tenders.

The Jordan Engineers Association (JEA) issued the seventy-first volume of its Arabic-language periodical, The Jordanian Engineer.  The periodical, which has been published over the past 35 years (at an average rate of 2 volumes per year), includes articles addressing the different fields of engineering, including architecture, as well as reports and news on the activities of JEA.

Natheer Abu Obeid, associate professor at the Jordan University of Science and Technology in Irbid and chairman of the University's Department of Architecture, received the State's Appreciation Prize in Science - Speciality of Architecture. 

The Municipality of Greater Amman invited tenders for a project for the renovation of downtown Amman as a tourist area.  The project includes the renovation of al-Hashemi and King Talal streets, as well as a three-kilometer promenade. Tibah Consultants and Pacific Consultants International (PCI) of Tokyo, Japan had designed the project, which is expected to cost about 1,14 million JD (around 1.6 million $US) and is being funded by a loan from the Japan Bank for International Development. (See the Completed designs section of the March 2000 news items.)