June 27, 2008 9:45
Amman: Jet Set Watering-Hole?
Jordan's a great place, home to many a geological splendor (the Dead Sea, Wadi Rum) and archeological wonder (Petra, Jerash). But is it me or does this recent article in the New York Times Real Estate section go a little far in promoting Amman as an oasis of stability for sophisticated expatriates?
A few jarring passages (NY Times text in italics):
1) “It’s a very livable city,” said Robert Pingeon, a New Yorker who moved to Amman in 2006 with his wife, Emily Lodge. ..."It’s also a great place to get to other places — Beirut, Damascus, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv — they’re all only a short distance away.”
This is what people say when they live somewhere boring. Delaware: It's halfway between New York and Washington!
Also, it's perhaps not so wise for an American to talk publicly about going both to Tel Aviv and Damascus. Hope Mr. Pingeon doesn't have any Israeli stamps on his passport next time he goes to Syria.
2) “If someone asked me about moving to Amman, I’d say don’t hesitate.... It’s a place that gives you a beautiful blend of tradition and more liberal cosmopolitanism.” [According to Adnan Habboo, an Iraqi American who moved to Amman.]
Actually, the blend between tradition and modernity is not always so smooth in Amman. Try eating food in public during Ramadan. And though I can't vouch for their experience, single female foreign friends tell me they get harassed all the time in Jordan, much more so than in Lebanon or even Syria.
3) Both of them [Haboo and his wife] are staunch supporters of monarchy, the Jordanian form of government. “It gives the country an extra degree of political stability,” Mr. Habboo said.
Ah yes, the firm hand of authoritarianism. Does wonders for maintaining home prices.
4) In addition, Amman’s reputation as a safe haven is attracting many Palestinian, and now Iraqi, refugees.
A tidal wave of refugees? The word is out. Go buy that second home before Amman goes the way of the Hamptons.
5) With Iraq to the east, Syria to the north, Israel to the west and Saudi Arabia to the south, Jordan is in the eye of the Middle Eastern storm. Despite its proximity to conflict, Amman, the capital, is a very peaceful place where people come to do business, leaving their disputes at the border.
Yes, Jordan is one of the calmest countries in the Middle East. And yes, outsiders tend to have an exaggerated notion of the risks of living in the Middle East. But Jordan isn't merely surrounded by the conflicts of the Middle East, it is inextricably linked to them. Which is why there are perhaps as many Iraqi and Palestinian refugees in Jordan as their are original Jordanians.
Though those conflicts have temporarily stabilized -- with the Hamas truce and Israeli-Palestinain peace talks on the on hand, and the Iraq surge on the other -- Jordan is on a knife's edge. If Iraq falls apart when the surge ends, and if peace talks fail for good, those disasters won't stop at the border.
--Andrew Lee Butters/Beirut
About The Middle East Blog
Tim McGirk, TIME's Jerusalem Bureau Chief, arrived in the Middle East after covering Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Read more
Scott MacLeod, TIME's Cairo Bureau Chief since 1998, has covered the Middle East and Africa for the magazine for 22 years. Read more
Andrew Lee Butters moved to Beirut in 2003, and began working for TIME in Iraq during the Fallujah uprising of 2004. Read more
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Reader Comments (16)
Hey, don't diss Jordan.
The country's "authoratarian" Monarchy is WAY more liberal and modernizing than any of the "Republics" in the Arab world.
The realy amazing thing is that in spite of having more Palestinian and Iraqi refugess than original citizens Jordan has actually done a very good job of integrating them into the economy and civil life of the country-Just compare the situation to Lebanon.
Bottom line: No natural resources, massive refugee influx, Only one out of the way seaport, and big bad neighours. And with this Jordan has done a better job in developing a civil society, a modern economy and an effecient government than any other Arab country.
Posted by yoni boxman | June 27, 2008 10:32 PM
Hey, don't downgrade Jordan.
The country's "authoratarian" Monarchy is WAY more liberal and modernizing than any of the "Republics" in the Arab world.
The realy amazing thing is that in spite of having more Palestinian and Iraqi refugess than original citizens Jordan has actually done a very good job of integrating them into the economy and civil life of the country-Just compare the situation to Lebanon.
And I've got to say that I've visited Jordan three times in the last five years and female fellow travelers never felt harassed. On the contrary Jordanians are generally very friendly, speak English pretty well and relatively respectful of cultual differences. Egypt on the other hand...
Bottom line: No natural resources, massive refugee influx, Only one out of the way seaport, and big bad neighours. And with this Jordan has done a better job in developing a civil society, a modern economy and an effecient government than any other Arab country.
Maybe this isn't as sexy as millita clahes in Beirut but if the rest of the Arab world could duplicate Jordan's achievements the world would be a much better place.
Posted by yoni boxman | June 27, 2008 10:41 PM
Yoni,
As you would say, "do the math":
Dubai (UAE) in the middle of a typhoon > Jordan on a sunny day.
'nuff said.
Posted by nk+ | June 27, 2008 11:40 PM
Wow, so Andrew has decided to join Tim in his blogging by copying other real articles from other news organizations.
Whew, I see the TIME bloggers breaking out in sweats to cover their stories.
For those who want to actually read the original without the snarkiness can just click on the link.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/25/greathomesanddestinations/25gh-amman.html?ref=realestate
Posted by Jacob Blues | June 28, 2008 1:32 AM
Nick,
True...
Except the 70% of the UAE's population are foreign workers without any rights. Except that while Jordan got where it was without any Natural resources Dubai just poured Oil money on the sand until something grew. Except that censorship is higher and democratic developement incomparably lower in the UAE.
The beutiful skyscrapers, malls and artistic fancies are built on Oil Money and Foreign Labor. They are therefore transient and unsustainable in a non-oil based world economy.
When Dubai's skyscrapers are empty hulks the society built in Jordan may yet endure and continue to grow.
Posted by yoni boxman | June 28, 2008 2:27 AM
Let's put a few things straight, first Jordan is no Fuji and mater of fact it's a creation of colonial powers to separate and conquer Semitic lands in a most uninhabitable place in earth.
Second a myth about Israel, once there was a aristocrat in Egypt (may he rest in peace) and he tried to to take the throne from Pharaoh with his supporters (reminds me of AIPAC in USA), unfortunately for him it didn't work out to his desire so Pharaoh came after him and his followers with vengeance and prince ran to a place out of Egypt domain but that place was already inhabited so they killed and exiled their aborigines and claimed it as god promised land and called it Judah but unfortunately if you conquer a place some other can conquer you that's when Ashurians and Babolyans came to play and we know the rest of story, if some one tell you god promised a land to you know for sure you're crazy, if someone tell you they're democratic and free know for sure they're slaving and oppressing other lands and its people and finally if they say I'm your best ally know for sure they're taking advantage of you, didn't your parents teach you these stuff!
Posted by Joe | June 28, 2008 11:35 AM
Yoni, you missed the point of the NY Times article, which ridiculously stated that Jordan real estate was a "must have".
You can take the best real estate in Jordan and tell me that it's comparable to my future apartment here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/06/25/swirling-skyscraper-plann_n_109072.html
Then I will laugh, maybe slap my knee, and invite you over so you can change your mind ;)
Posted by NK- | June 29, 2008 12:16 AM
Jordan is definitely one of the more "serene" places in the Middle East. The monarchy has done a pretty good job, but that's the thing about a monarchy: a good king does wonders for your country while a terrible king destroys it. Civil rights and religious freedom is still an issue, but that's something that the entire region is struggling with, and its about a million times more relaxed in Jordan than it is Saudi Arabia.
Also, Yoni has a point about Dubai. What's going to happen to the city when the world moves away from oil? I suspect that it will still thrive (Dubai is becoming an international trading/banking powerhouse, so there will still be an economy in Dubai after oil), but you know the Middle Eastern oil producers are concerned about it. High oil prices shift consumers away from oil and into alternative energy.
Posted by Nathan W. | June 29, 2008 3:26 AM
Dubai is developing a serious banking industry, no question about that. However most (not all) of the capital that goes into that industry is derived, directly or indirectly from oil sales with dubai bankers acting as middlemen. The question is whether an idustry that enjoys such a massive advantage will remain competitive once the advantage dissapears.
The answer? Maybe. But only if they trim a lot of the fat in their current modus operandi.
As for Jordan it has had the good luck of having an unusually long reign by two very good kings (with an interegnum by an imbecilic nutcase who was quietly retired by the army).
My point is however was tha their current king is liberalizing the political system slowly but surely. This means that even if his son is a nonentity or an idiot (hey, statistics has to catch up with the Hashemites eventually) he won't be able to do much damage.
Still, Nick has a point. Amman is not exactly at the center of things. I'd still take a quiet apartment there over Beirut.
Posted by yoni boxman | June 29, 2008 2:04 PM
To be honest, I was basing my assessment of Dubai on how luxurious it was there in relation to Amman. The architecture is magnificent and the beaches are second to none. The services you can get there rival Macao. I think even without a banking or oil industry, the tourism will draw enough capital for years to come. And if it starts dwindling, allow 5-7 high end casinos to open up, and bam... you have a Middle East Monte Carlo/Macao.
Posted by NK- | June 29, 2008 9:17 PM
True. Dubai is definitely attracting tourists -- wealthy tourists -- and lots of them.
Posted by Nathan W. | June 29, 2008 9:57 PM
I'm surprised that nobody brought up Rania. Does anyone know who I'm talking about? She's the one reason I'd move to Jordan
lol
Posted by nk+ | June 30, 2008 10:24 AM
For once I agree with Nick. Definately hot.
Posted by yoni boxman | June 30, 2008 11:57 AM
10 Questions for Queen Rania by Scott Macleod:
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1619564,00.html
Posted by nk+ | June 30, 2008 7:42 PM
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