Amman, Sept. 7 (Petra) -- Minister of Awqaf, Islamic Affairs and Holy Sites Mohammad Al-Khalayleh announced a plan to double the revenues of the Awqaf Funds Development Department over the next three years, alongside the announcement of the results of the first comprehensive assessment of its real estate assets, valued at approximately JD516 million.

During a press conference on Monday, attended by Minister of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship Sami Smeirat, Secretary General of the Ministry of Awqaf Ismail Al-Khatib, and Director General of the Awqaf Funds Development Department Yousef Al-Qudah, Al-Khalayleh said the assessment was conducted by accredited valuers in accordance with international standards and covered all endowed properties in the Kingdom. He said the assessment provides an accurate database to improve investment planning and support decision-making.

The department manages around 1,000 endowed plots covering a total area of 6,830 dunums, 65 percent of which are located in Amman. About 72 percent of the plots are invested or leased, while the remaining land has not been invested due to being outside regulated areas, located in sparsely populated areas, or having a zoning designation that is unsuitable for the nature of the proposed investment. Meanwhile, 97.5 percent of existing properties are leased.

Endowed plots under the department’s jurisdiction account for about 9 percent of the total endowed plots, while the larger share consists of land endowed for cemeteries, mosques, family endowments and other purposes.
Al-Khalayleh said total annual returns from movable and immovable endowment assets reached approximately JD9.3 million in 2025.

He said the department’s three-year strategic plan focuses on expanding investment in endowment assets, developing partnerships with the public and private sectors, attracting financing from Islamic financial institutions for new projects, and expanding cash endowments to purchase commercially and investment-oriented land and buildings with economic feasibility, as part of a structured plan to develop endowment assets and increase their returns.

The minister said the department had signed contracts for new projects estimated at JD24 million, in addition to projects under implementation costing JD9 million and agreements under "promise to contract" arrangements with an estimated value of up to JD20 million.

He said the department had independently implemented 11 projects in several governorates at a cost of JD4.5 million. Among the projects are the Al-Mazar Al-Janoubi warehouse complex, costing JD296,000, and a multipurpose hall in the Northern Badia, costing JD410,000. The department is currently preparing the necessary studies and plans for two commercial projects in Mafraq and Balqa.

Regarding cash endowments, Al-Khalayleh said net assets of the Cash Endowment Investment Directorate had increased to about JD39 million by the end of 2025, compared with JD1 million when it was established in early 2021.

He added that financing provided during 2025 amounted to approximately JD9.338 million, while the department has an investment portfolio on the Amman Stock Exchange comprising around three million shares valued at approximately JD14 million.

The minister said investments in endowment projects since the department was established in 2003 had reached approximately JD105 million, covering 81 projects across various governorates, including commercial complexes, schools, hospitals, universities, factories and fuel stations.

He said these projects had contributed to providing around 23,000 jobs, supporting the role of endowments in the national economy and in reducing poverty and unemployment.

Regarding public-private partnerships, Al-Khalayleh said the department uses a long-term lease, or build-operate-transfer (BOT), system to develop projects on endowed land and operate them for periods of up to 30 years. During this period, an annual payment is made to the Awqaf, after which the full benefit of the project reverts to the Awqaf at the end of the term.

On the collection of outstanding payments, Al-Khalayleh said around 450 cases had been filed against those who had failed to pay rents, with arrears totaling JD11 million, while 2,177 tenants had been referred to the Public Funds Collection Department.

The minister called on citizens to establish cash and real estate endowments, with their proceeds allocated to the poor, needy, patients and other charitable purposes. He also affirmed the department’s transparency in publishing its data, lists and financial reports, which are prepared by an external auditor as part of its annual report and published on its website.
As part of its digital transformation, the department launched the first phase of its electronic services package under a project aimed at digitizing its services, simplifying procedures and improving the efficiency of services provided to applicants and investors.

Smeirat said the launch of the electronic services was part of the government’s commitment to digitizing all government services that can be digitized by the end of 2026. This would bring the number of completed digitizable government services to the targeted level of around 2,400.

He said the first phase of the digital transformation began with the launch of six electronic services at the department, followed by another six services, with a further six services to be launched by the end of the year, bringing the total number of electronic services being introduced to 18.

The new electronic services include investing in endowed properties, adding or withdrawing a partner from an investment contract, terminating an investment contract, assigning an investment contract, installment payments due on a property, and suspending legal procedures.

The department will complete the launch of the remaining electronic services before the end of the year. These include leasing a property or plot of land, adding or withdrawing a partner from a lease contract, terminating a lease contract through the handover of the leased property, settling outstanding rents, assigning a lease contract, changing the designated use of a property, property maintenance, and lifting a request for public funds.

//Petra// WH

07/09/2026 11:19:08