The best area for an office in Amman depends on who your company meets and how your people travel to work. Shmeisani suits firms that deal with banks, ministries and corporate clients. Abdali offers modern towers inside one planned development. Jabal Amman and the circles along Zahran Street give established addresses near the old city, and Sweifieh has offices in commercial complexes. This guide compares them to help you decide where to rent an office in Amman.
What are the main business districts in Amman?
Companies looking for office space in Amman, Jordan’s capital, usually weigh five areas: Shmeisani, Abdali, Jabal Amman with the numbered circles along Zahran Street, Sweifieh, and the long commercial roads of Mecca Street and Wasfi Al-Tal Street. Each has its own mix of banks, government offices, shops, hotels and buildings, and each suits a different kind of firm.
A useful way to see where business sits is the Amman Stock Exchange’s company guide, in which listed companies give their addresses. The addresses fall into clear groups. Many of the banks are in Shmeisani along with Arab Potash, a second group of banks has its addresses in Abdali, insurers and investment firms line Zahran Street, and investment and real estate companies are spread through the office complexes of Wasfi Al-Tal Street.
How do Shmeisani, Abdali, Jabal Amman and Sweifieh compare?
Shmeisani is the established financial and government district, and Abdali is the new planned business district next door. Jabal Amman and the circles mix ministries, insurers and hotels close to the old city, while Sweifieh has offices in commercial complexes near the Seventh Circle. The table sets the five areas side by side, with examples of who is there taken from official listings.
| District | Character | Examples of who is there | Buildings | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shmeisani | Central business district with banks, ministries and hotels, a few minutes from Abdali | Arab Bank, the Housing Bank, Jordan Islamic Bank, Arab Potash, the Ministry of Finance | Established office buildings, some small enough for one firm to take a whole floor | Firms that work with banks, government and corporate clients |
| Abdali | A planned, mixed-use development with shops, hotels, homes and a hospital | Capital Bank, Safwa Islamic Bank, Jordan Kuwait Bank, Jordan Telecom | 20 office buildings on more than 384,000 m² of land, plus The Boulevard | Companies that want a modern tower with retail and hotels on the doorstep |
| Jabal Amman and the circles | One of the city’s older districts, with Zahran Street and the numbered circles | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, Arab Jordan Investment Bank, Jordan Insurance | Older buildings near the First Circle, newer office towers further along Zahran Street | Firms that want a well-known address near ministries and the old city |
| Sweifieh | A commercial district near the Seventh Circle, with Wakalat Street and Paris Street | National Electric Power, investment firms on Paris Street and Wakalat Street | Offices in commercial complexes | Firms that want an office in a commercial complex |
| Mecca Street and Wasfi Al-Tal Street | Long commercial roads lined with office complexes | Islamic International Arab Bank, Jordan Electric Power | Office complexes and commercial centres of many sizes | Smaller firms that want a wide choice of office units |
Why do companies choose Shmeisani?
Companies choose Shmeisani for a central address among the institutions they deal with. Banks, ministries and hotels are within walking distance of one another, Abdali is a few minutes away, and buildings such as the MSDR Building let a firm take a whole floor with its own underground parking.
The addresses bear this out. Arab Bank, the Housing Bank for Trade and Finance, Jordan Islamic Bank and Jordan Ahli Bank all give Shmeisani addresses, as does Arab Potash. The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Water and Irrigation list their offices in Shmeisani too. Our guide to Shmeisani covers the district in more detail.
What does Abdali offer an office tenant?
Abdali offers new, high-specification buildings inside one planned development, with shops, hotels, homes and a hospital around them. Its developer, Abdali Investment and Development, describes it as Amman’s leading business district, with 20 office buildings on more than 384,000 m² of land.
At its centre is The Boulevard, a pedestrian walkway 370 m long and 21 m wide overlooked by 12 buildings, which the developer says holds 27,660 m² of leasable office space. Abdali Mall adds five floors of shops, and Abdali Hospital, the Amman Rotana and the W Amman are part of the development. Capital Bank, Safwa Islamic Bank, Jordan Kuwait Bank and Jordan Telecom all give Abdali addresses.
The developer counts 24 million visits a year, so offices in Abdali share the district with shoppers, diners and hotel guests. That suits firms that want activity around them and a single managed development to work in. In a tower shared with other tenants, elevators, lobbies and parking are shared as well, so ask early how they work at busy times.
Is Jabal Amman a good place for an office?
Jabal Amman suits firms that want an established address near the old city and close to government ministries. The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation both give addresses at the Third Circle, and insurers and investment firms line Zahran Street and its numbered circles.
The addresses follow the road: Jordan Petroleum Refinery at the First Circle, Arab Jordan Investment Bank on Zahran Street, Jordan Insurance at the Third Circle and Royal Jordanian at the Fifth Circle. The building stock ranges from older buildings near the First Circle to newer towers further out, so floor sizes and parking vary a great deal from one building to the next.
Who is Sweifieh best for?
Sweifieh suits firms that want an office in a commercial complex near the Seventh Circle. Listed companies based there give addresses in commercial complexes on Wakalat Street and Paris Street, and National Electric Power lists its office at the Seventh Circle in Sweifieh.
Busy commercial streets can be slow at certain hours, so a firm that receives clients from across the city should visit at the times its clients would come, and check where they would park.
Mecca Street and Wasfi Al-Tal Street
Mecca Street and Wasfi Al-Tal Street, which runs through the Gardens area, are long commercial roads lined with office complexes. Islamic International Arab Bank gives its address on Wasfi Al-Tal Street and Jordan Electric Power on Mecca Street, alongside many smaller investment and real estate firms. For a small firm, the sheer number of complexes means a wide choice of units.
Where is parking easiest for an office in Amman?
Parking depends more on the building than on the district. Anywhere in Amman, a building with its own underground parking and spaces allocated to each unit saves staff a daily search, so ask how many spaces come with the office, where they are and where visitors leave their cars.
At the MSDR Building in Shmeisani, two underground floors, Basement 1 and Basement 2, are reached by a ramp from the street, and both elevators run down to each level. Each full floor comes with four allocated spaces and each ground-floor unit with two, and cars may stay in the garage until 7:00 PM. The parking and services page has the details.
Shmeisani vs Abdali offices: which suits your company?
The two districts are neighbours, a few minutes apart, so the choice comes down to the kind of building you want. Abdali offers new towers with shops, hotels and a hospital inside one development. Shmeisani offers an established address among banks and ministries, in buildings where a company can take a whole floor with its own parking.
A firm that wants retail and hotels downstairs and a tower address will lean towards Abdali. A firm that wants a floor of its own, with its own toilets and kitchenette and parking allocated to its unit, can find it in Shmeisani at the MSDR Building, where the elevators open onto the tenant’s floor.
How do you choose the right district for your office?
Start from the people who will use the office every day and the people who visit it. The right district is the one that keeps your team’s journeys short and puts your clients, banks and officials within easy reach, in a building that works for the size of your team.
- Who you meet. List the banks, ministries and clients you see most often and where they are.
- How your team travels. Map where your staff live and how long the daily journey would be from each district.
- Parking. Ask how many spaces come with the unit, where visitors park and what hours the garage keeps.
- The building. Look at the elevators, access hours, security and the toilets and kitchenette on your floor.
- Fit-out and terms. Ask what the space needs before you move in, who pays for it and how rent is paid. The lease terms for the MSDR Building set this out.
The four spaces at the MSDR Building
The MSDR Building at 1 Rafik Al-Adhm Street has four units available, 683 m² in all: two ground-floor units of 76 m² and 119 m², the full first floor of 239 m² and the full third floor of 249 m². A full floor holds about 20 people and comes with four underground parking spaces.
The first floor is finished, with glass-walled offices along one side, and the third floor is open space ready to lay out from scratch. The building is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with a permanent security guard, and the location page has the map. Tours run Sunday to Thursday, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, and you can arrange a tour through the enquiry form.