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AMMAN — Minister of Investment Tareq Abu Ghazaleh on Thursday said recent amendments to the Investment Environment Regulation Bylaw have streamlined licensing procedures in development and free zones
The new licensing procedures allow complete applications for construction licences and occupancy permits to be processed within 72 hours, according to the Ministry of Investment statement.
The minister made the remarks during the Ministry of Investment's second-quarter 2026 coordination meeting with development zone developers, which reviewed operational updates, regulatory amendments, developer performance evaluations and investment success stories.
Abu Ghazaleh noted the amendments as a "major" step towards improving the business environment by simplifying procedures, re-engineering workflows and reducing the time required to obtain approvals and permits.
He said the amendments introduced, for the first time, a fast-track mechanism for issuing construction licences and occupancy permits in development and free zones, enabling fully compliant applications to be completed within 72 hours.
Abu Ghazaleh said the measure was made possible by restructuring procedures and reducing the number of committees and approval stages, helping to cut bureaucracy, improve regulatory efficiency and accelerate the implementation of investment projects.
He added that the amended bylaw also introduced a compliance-based licensing system, allowing investors to begin operations based on self-compliance, subject to post-licensing inspections.
Abu Ghazaleh reviewed the second-quarter performance evaluation results for development and free zone developers as part of its institutional framework for performance measurement, transparency and continuous improvement.
During the meeting, King Hussein Business Park presented its "Sustainable and Eco-Friendly Development" initiative as a model for integrating environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles into the planning and management of development zones.
The initiative includes corporate social responsibility programmes focused on youth, support for sustainable development and strengthening the economic and developmental role of development zones in local communities.
The ministry said the coordination meetings are held regularly to monitor the performance of development and free zones, address challenges and opportunities, and use stakeholder feedback to improve the investment environment and services provided to investors, according to the Ministry of Investment statement.
