EBRD, GAM to transform Amman into a smart city

AMMAN — The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) are joining forces to transform Amman into a smart city, the bank said in a statement e-mailed to The Jordan Times Tuesday.

Under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed Tuesday, both parties agreed to establish a framework for strategic and operational cooperation in Amman to introduce solutions addressing major environmental, economic and social challenges.

The EBRD and GAM will cooperate to promote sector reforms and develop priority projects to modernise infrastructure and municipal services in Amman. 

The Jordanian capital counts over 4 million inhabitants and hosts around 400,000 refugees, which is creating challenges and putting a strain on the municipal services, the EBRD said.

The municipality is planning to introduce “smart” solutions to improve the quality and sustainability of its services, including investments that will work to ease the high burden of traffic congestion in the city and to apply the latest advances in information technology to better serve Amman’s residents.

 “We are very pleased to contribute to the modernisation of Amman and to help develop innovative solutions which will enhance the quality of services and living of the capital’s population,” EBRD President Sir Suma Chakrabarti said in the statement.

Hazem Neimat, deputy mayor of GAM, said in the statement: “The Greater Amman Municipality is committed to ensuring the sustainable delivery of municipal services and is keen to adopt pioneering solutions that promote resource efficiency and improve the lives of Amman’s citizens. We are grateful to the EBRD for their ongoing support and for partnering with us in the pursuit of smart solutions.”

Jordan became an EBRD shareholder in 2012 and to-date the bank has committed close to $1 billion across 38 projects in various sectors of the economy, in addition to $180 million of trade-facilitation credit lines with local banks, according to the statement.