Ma’an Governorate

Ma’an Governorate is located in the south of Jordan. It is the largest governorate in terms of area, where its area is estimated at about (32,832) km2, which is 37% of the total area of Jordan.

It is considered one of the oldest governorates that had administrative centers, where its first one was established in the city of Ma’an in 1869 AD as a district, under Balqa County, which was under Syria Province during the Ottoman era.

In 1880 AD, Ma’an District was detached from Balqa County and attached to Jerusalem County, which was directly attached to the Ottoman Sultan Court (Topkapı Palace) .In 1891 AD, Ma’an became the center of a county extending from the southern parts of Zarqa River to the north of Tayma (currently in Saudi Arabia). In 1895 AD, the center of the county returned to Karak, hence Ma’an became the center of a district attached to Karak. In 1917, Ma’an District included the city of Ma’an as the center, and four sub-districts: Shobak, which was established in 1900, Wadi Musa, which was established in 1911, Tabouk, and Mada’in Saleh (currently called Al-Hijr in Saudi Arabia).

In 1918, Ma’an District was attached to the Hashemite State of Arabia in Hijaz, and remained as such up until 1925, when it was attached to the Emirate of Transjordan and became one of its provinces, where Tabouk and Mada’in Saleh had been detached.

The stage of the Hashemite reign: In 1927, Ma’an County was formed, which included two districts, Ma’an and Aqaba, and attached to it were two sub-districts, Shobak and Wadi Musa. With the establishment of the state of Jordan and the birth of a new dawn full of hope, ambitious, and the development all walks of life in the state, periodical reviewing of the administrative divisions was necessary.

In 1965, Ma’an County was elevated to a governorate, where counties, districts and sub-districts were formed. In 1994, Aqaba County, with its districts were detached, and was elevated to a governorate.

Geographical Location:

Ma’an Governorate is located in the south of Jordan. It extends in the north from the boundaries of the Capital Governorate to the Saudi-Jordanian borders in the south, and from the boundaries of Wadi Araba (Aqaba Governorate) in the west to the Saudi-Jordanian borders in the east.

Ma’an Governorate consists of (4) counties, (7) districts, (7) municipalities, and the Petra Development & Tourism Region Authority.

Population:

Governorate’s population is (144082) inhabitants.
Governorate’s area: (32832.3 km2).
Population density: (4.4) inhabitants per square kilometer.

Governorate’s Relative Features:

The strategic geographical location, where it is close to Aqaba Port, and having the Saudi-Iraqi highway crossing the Governorate.
The diversity of its terrains of mountainous and desert regions, and agricultural, touristic, and commercial activities.
The availability of some of the natural resources, such as building limestone, silica sand, phosphate, and kaolin.
Low competiveness, especially in the industrial sector.
The existence of the needed infrastructure for investment.
The facilities and tax exemptions granted to projects implemented in Ma’an Industrial Park.
Launching the Economic Zone in Ma’an.
The availability of land for various uses, as Ma’an Governorate area equals 32% of the total area of the Kingdom.
The existence of a number of archeological and historical sites, mainly Petra City, Shobak Castle, and the palace of the founder of Jordan, King Abdullah I.
Having the phosphate mines, Aqaba Railway Corporation and its offices in Ma’an, and the railways leading to Aqaba.
The existence of King Hussein University, and two community colleges (Ma’an and Shobak).
The existence of various agricultural investments in Shobak region, Mudawwarah, Ras Al-Naqab, and Al-Muhammadeyeh.