Amman - Tourism and Lifestyle

Tourism and Lifestyle

Amman is considered one of the most "westernized" and cosmopolitan cities in the Arab World. Amman has become one of the most popular destinations for "Western" expats and college students who seek to live, study, or work in the Middle East or the Arab World in general. The city's culinary scene has expanded from its shwarma stands and falafel joints to embrace many popular American restaurants and fast-food outlets like McDonald's and T.G.I. Friday's, Asian fusion restaurants, French bistros such as La Maison Verte and Italian trattorias. The city has become famous for its fine dining scene among Western expats and Persian Gulf tourists.

There are numerous nightclubs and bars across the city especially in West Amman. Modesty in dress for men and women is greatly relaxed and low-cut shirts, tank tops and short skirts are becoming commonplace. Abdoun Circle (not one of the eight) is a major center of the city’s night life where the chicest clubs maintain a strict “couples only” policy, meaning no unescorted men. Sweifieh is considered to be the unofficial red-light district of Amman as it holds most of the city's nightclubs, bars, strip-clubs, massage parlors, and other adult entertainment venues.

Discothèques, music bars and shisha lounges have sprouted across Amman, changing the city's old image as the conservative capital of the kingdom. Jordan's young population is helping shape this new burgeoning nightlife scene. As well as the wide range of drinking and dancing venues on the social circuit of the city's affluent crowd, Amman has much cultural entertainment to indulge in like the annual Amman Summer Festival and Souk Jara.

Valued at more than US $5 Billion, the Abdali project is planned to create a new visible center for Amman and act as the major business district. The project includes Jordan's new high street and mall, luxury hotels and apartments as well as start-of-the-art offices. The entire project is expected to be finished by 2015.

Amman is a hub for Persian Gulf vacationers who come to take advantage of the mild weather and liberal atmosphere during the summer. The summer of 2009 brought 2.5 million Arab tourists to the Jordanian capital.

Large malls were built during the 2000s in Amman, including the Mecca Mall, Abdoun Mall, Amman Mall, City Mall, Plaza Mall, Al Baraka Mall, Istikal Mall, Zara Shopping Center, Sweifieh Avenue Mall, and Mukhtar Mall. Furthermore, two new malls are currently under development: Taj Mall in the affluent neighbourhood Abdoun, and Abdali Mall in Al Abdali. The Wakalat Street (English: "Agencies Street") is Amman's first pedestrian-only street and carries a lot of label name clothes. The Sweifieh area in general is considered to be the main shopping district of Amman.