Attempts of “Abdali Development” to Expropriate Lands and Buildings Hinders Interests of Investors for 20 Months
01 Feb 2007AMMAN – Through the past few years, official related parties have worked to increase the atmosphere of investment, and have issued laws and legislations to equate between Jordanian and non-Jordanian investors, and have successfully done so.
However, lately the picture has become unnaturally distorted when the application of some laws started to give preference to non-Jordanian investors. This has occurred to a point where local investments have become unjustifiably hindered, which has led to questions like who benefits from this unfair implementation of the law? And who stands behind it?
This introduction was necessary for us to talk about the hindrance of investments in the Abdali area, that has happened to the well-known and successful Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Organization (TAGorg). This organization has stood side by side with other national institutions in development, training and employment of hundreds, and generates over 100 million dollars in hard currencies.
TAGorg, which is headquartered in Amman, obtained licenses in 2004 to establish new buildings to enhance its operations, which are spread throughout 60 branches in 32 countries. After it started building and at an advanced stage, certain parties at the Municipality of Amman issued a decision on June 12, 2005 that places the lands in question under study and prevents sale, licensing, building and other activities on them.
Since that date, the relevant authorities are still “studying” the region, as if a study requires such extensive time with all this entails as far as expenses and losses for the local residents and investors are concerned.
The scenario that is no longer a secret is that the Abdali development company seeks to repossess the lands in question from their owners, and if it doesn’t succeed then it seeks to disrupt their interests, with the possibility of expropriation by the municipality being the solution. This is despite the fact that there are difficulties in taking this step, in addition to the fact that it would be a violation of neutrality in this case and in violation of the regulations of Article 11 of the constitution.
What is noteworthy is that the Abdali company recently expropriated one of the buildings in the area, in violation of the municipality’s decision preventing action on lands and buildings in section 14 of Amman lands adjacent to the Abdali project.
The Abdali company took over the sidewalk designated for pedestrians and set up barriers in the middle of the road, thereby violating the rights of pedestrians and those who use the road, without the authorities objecting to or moving to end these infringements. Further, no action was taken in regards to removing the project’s advertisement boards, in accordance with the new instructions on advertisement boards in the greater Amman area.
The Jordanian constitution has guaranteed the right of residents for the usage of sidewalks and the main road, in addition to their rights to act as they wish with their property, and their right to be compensated for damages suffered, especially since the lands in question were never part of the original Abdali development plan when the area was submitted for private investments.
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