Stained-glass illustration in blue glass of a robot and towers at the dawn of the infrastructure singularity

Sector guide 21 of 22 · Version 1.1

Creative Industries in Jordan

Stories, games and spectacle made where the desert meets the Red Sea.

$47m: forward investment in its own projects
14: projects in this guide
10: in or linked to Aqaba

The sector today

Creative Industries in Jordan

Jordan's landscapes are already famous on screen. Wadi Rum stood in for Mars in The Martian, the country's deserts have hosted Dune and Star Wars, and international productions brought more than $500 million into the economy between 2017 and 2023, across more than 200 film projects.

In May 2025 the Royal Film Commission raised the ceiling of its cash rebate for qualifying productions from 25% to 45%. The Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship has a national strategy for e-gaming and esports for 2023 to 2027, aimed at startups, training and international studios.

The next phase gives these industries a physical home. Aqaba is building a creative and tech district, a film and media hub, an international motor racing circuit and new museums. This guide sets out where the sector stands, the projects in the Jordan PPP project register, and the opportunities it opens as infrastructure moves towards the singularity.

45%: Upper limit of the Royal Film Commission's cash rebate on qualifying productions since May 2025, up from 25%.
$500m+: Spent in Jordan's economy by international film productions from 2017 to 2023, across more than 200 projects.
702,000 m²: Scale of the Al Yamaniyeh Creative and Tech District planned in Aqaba for studios, startups and esports.
3.6 km: Length of the FIA Grade 3 main track at the Aqaba International Circuit, now under construction.

The singularity

Imagination is the last scarce resource

The infrastructure singularity is the point where roads, grids, ports and water networks become one connected, intelligent system, built by robotics, run by artificial intelligence and financed by tokenization. When machines can make almost anything, the value moves to the ideas, stories and experiences that people choose.

Artificial intelligence: Generates scenes, voices, translation and visual effects, so Jordanian studios can produce Arabic and global content at a fraction of today's cost and time.
Robotics: Camera robots, drones and motion-control rigs film in the desert and on the Red Sea, and robotic builders raise sets, stages and circuits quickly.
Tokenization: Films, games, music and events can be financed and owned in small tokenized stakes, with each holder paid a share of the revenue every time the work earns.
Virtual worlds: Digital twins of Wadi Rum, Petra and Aqaba become sets for films and games, letting productions shoot Jordan from anywhere and then come to film it for real.
Autonomy: Motorsport is a proving ground for autonomous vehicles, and a circuit in Aqaba can host the races and tests where self-driving technology is refined.

Flagship projects

The projects that lead the sector

Under way · Aqaba
Al Yamaniyeh Creative & Tech District
A 702,000 m² district planned by the Aqaba Development Corporation with a tech and gaming business park, an academic park, an esports arena, three hotels, shops and entertainment beside a public beach. Land plots of 10,000 m² are open to investors, and more than 1,500 direct jobs are projected.
Under way · Aqaba
Aqaba International Circuit
A motorsport complex with a 3.6 km FIA Grade 3 circuit and a 1.5 km karting track, built for regional championships and sports tourism. During a visit in May 2026 the Crown Prince called for an operator to be selected in line with international best practice.
Pipeline · Aqaba
Aqaba Filming & Media Hub
A full-cycle film production cluster planned with the Royal Film Commission, combining studios, production services and training. It builds on the Aqaba Film Centre already housed in the city's national vocational training hub, and gives productions a base near Wadi Rum and the Red Sea.
Pipeline · Aqaba
Aqaba Marine Life Museum & Research Center
A public aquarium and coral research center tied to the Aqaba Marine Reserve, valued at about US$81 million. Rising costs led to a split in 2026: the research center is going ahead at the Marine Science Station while the aquarium is redesigned and re-sited.
Under way · Aqaba
Heritage Aviation Museum
An aviation heritage museum on a 90,000 m² plot with 22,000 m² of buildings, a restaurant, terraces and gardens, developed by the Aqaba Development Corporation. It was reported 80% complete in August 2026, with mechanical and electrical works under way.

Every project

14 projects in Jordan’s pipeline

Values in US dollars; * estimated where no figure has been published. Rows in grey sit in another sector and connect to this one.

Project	Location	Stage	Value
Al Yamaniyeh Creative & Tech District	Aqaba	Under way	$24m
Aqaba International Circuit (AIC)	Aqaba	Under way	$17m
Aqaba Filming & Media Hub	Aqaba	Pipeline	$6m*
Abdali Convention Center	Abdali, Amman	Pipeline	$1bn
Bethany Village (Baptism Site)	Bethany Beyond the Jordan	Awarded	$120m
Aqaba Marine Life Museum & Research Center	Aqaba	Pipeline	$81m
National Broadband Network (NBN)	Nationwide	Pipeline	$65m*
Next Generation Data Center	No site chosen; candidate locations are	Pipeline	$60m*
Aqaba Digital Hub (ADH)	Aqaba	Under way	$28m
Al Yamaniyeh Beach	Aqaba	Under way	$16m
Heritage Aviation Museum (Aqaba)	Aqaba	Under way	$15m*
Jerash Eco-Tourism Village	Mountain site about 10 minutes from anci	Under way	$9.9m
Aqaba Youth City Stadium	Aqaba Youth City, Aqaba	Under way	$5.6m
Aqaba National Vocational Training Hub (ANVT)	Aqaba	Delivered	$7.5m*

AI, robotics and tokenization

What changes for Jordan's creative industries

Artificial intelligence

AI changes the economics of making content. For Jordan's creative industries it means a studio in Aqaba or Amman can write, animate, dub and edit at a fraction of today's cost, and reach Arabic-speaking audiences at the speed of global platforms. It also lets producers scout Jordan's locations virtually, plan shoots around weather and light, and test games and films with audiences before release.

What can be built

Arabic content engine. AI tools that dub, subtitle and localize films, series and games between Arabic and other languages at scale.
Virtual scouting. Digital twins of Wadi Rum, Petra and Aqaba that let producers plan shots, light and logistics before they arrive.
AI game studios. Studios that use AI to build characters, worlds and testing for games made in Jordan for regional and global players.
Audience insight. Models that test trailers, games and events with audiences and guide what studios and venues make next.

Robotics

Robotics gives productions and venues new capabilities. Camera robots, drones and motion-control rigs can film the desert and the Red Sea safely and repeatably, while robotic fabrication can raise sets, stages and grandstands quickly. At the Aqaba circuit and in the new museums, robots can run timing, safety and exhibits, and autonomous vehicles can race and be tested on a closed track in real conditions.

What can be built

Drone and robot crews. Camera drones, cable rigs and robotic arms that film desert and underwater scenes for visiting productions.
Robotic set building. 3D printing and robotic fabrication of sets, props and stages in Aqaba for film, events and esports.
Autonomous racing. A program at the Aqaba circuit for autonomous race cars and vehicle testing with universities and carmakers.
Living museums. Robotic and interactive exhibits at the marine life and aviation museums that bring science and history to life.

Tokenization

Films, games, music, events and venues earn revenue that can be shared. Tokenization lets a Jordanian production or studio raise money from many small investors, including the diaspora and fans, and pay each holder automatically as the work earns. Venues such as the circuit or an esports arena can offer tokenized stakes and memberships, and creators can keep ownership of their rights while they finance the next work.

What can be built

Film and series tokens. Stakes in productions made in Jordan that pay holders a share of distribution and streaming revenue.
Game studio shares. Tokens that finance Jordanian game studios and share in their sales and in-game revenue.
Venue memberships. Tokenized memberships at the Aqaba circuit and an esports arena with access, benefits and a share of income.
Rights registries. On-chain records of music, film and design rights that pay creators each time their work is used.

Small PPPs and unsolicited proposals

Small PPPs and research labs

Small PPPs let public owners and creative companies test new ideas at low cost. A creative lab in Aqaba could run pilots of about $100,000 each, such as a small LED virtual production stage built on scans of Wadi Rum, an esports tournament streamed from the Al Yamaniyeh district, or an augmented reality tour for one of the new museums. Pilots that work can be bundled into one small-scale PPP tender below US$14.1 million.

How it works

Unsolicited proposals under Article 15

Under Article 15 of PPP Law No. 19 of 2023, a company can propose a creative project of its own design to a public owner. Ideas include a sound stage and post-production campus beside the Aqaba film hub, an esports arena run as a concession in the Al Yamaniyeh district, a motorsport academy at the Aqaba circuit, or an immersive museum of Jordan's history in Amman, built and operated by the company.

How it works

New industries

What the sector can create

01Virtual productionLED stages and digital twins of Jordan's landscapes, where films shoot desert and sea scenes in a studio and finish them with AI.
02Arabic AI mediaStudios that generate, dub and localize films, series and games for hundreds of millions of Arabic speakers.
03Game studios and esportsGame developers, publishers and arenas in Aqaba and Amman that build titles and host regional leagues.
04Motorsport and autonomyRacing teams, driver academies and autonomous vehicle testing around the Aqaba circuit.
05Immersive museumsMuseums and attractions that use augmented reality, robotics and live data to tell Jordan's stories.
06Creative financeTokenized funds that finance films, games and events and pay their holders a share of each work's revenue.

Opportunities

Where partners come in

Productions: Film in Jordan with the Royal Film Commission's cash rebate of up to 45% and its location and permit services.
District plots: Take land in the Al Yamaniyeh Creative & Tech District from the Aqaba Development Corporation for studios, offices or an esports arena.
Operating contracts: Bid to manage and operate the Aqaba International Circuit and other venues and museums offered by public owners.
Direct proposals: Propose a project under Article 15 of PPP Law No. 19 of 2023, such as a production studio, a media campus or an immersive museum.
Aqaba and incentives: Locate in the Aqaba Special Economic Zone, with incentives under the Investment Environment Law for qualifying companies.
Investment and ownership: Finance studios, venues and content through funds, development banks and tokenized stakes that open ownership to more investors.

Stained-glass illustration in blue glass of a city of towers under a rising arch

The road to the singularity

2026Circuit works advance and an operator is sought; aviation museum 80% complete; district plots offered in Aqaba.
2030The film and media hub serves international productions; the Aqaba circuit hosts regional championships; esports leagues play in Aqaba.
2035AI studios in Aqaba and Amman produce Arabic films, series and games for the region at global quality.
2040Virtual production and digital twins make Jordan's landscapes a set used by studios worldwide; autonomous racing comes to Aqaba.
2050Creative industries are among Jordan's largest exporters, with content, games and events owned by many through tokenized stakes.

Jordan's landscapes have carried stories for thousands of years and now carry them to cinema screens around the world. The projects in this guide give the country's creative talent the places and tools to make those stories itself.

Download the sector guide (PDF)

Guides for organizations

Launch a PPP program of your own

The guides closest to Jordan's creative industries, each showing one kind of organization how to launch a PPP program, with six first steps.

Economic sectors
Creative Industries Companies
Your company launches a PPP program to build and run studios, creative hubs, cultural venues and heritage experiences as public-private partnerships (PPPs) and to bring digital twins and visual storytelling to infrastructure.
Read PDF
Economic sectors
Sports and Entertainment Companies
Your company launches a PPP program to build and run stadiums, arenas, sports cities, theme parks and event venues as public-private partnerships (PPPs) on government land.
Read PDF
Economic sectors
Heritage and Antiquities Institutions
Your institution launches a PPP program to build and run visitor centers, museums, conservation labs, digital records and heritage trails as public-private partnerships (PPPs), with conservation first.
Read PDF
Technology and knowledge
Technology Companies
Your company launches a PPP program to sell AI, robotics, sensors, digital twins and tokenization platforms into public-private partnership (PPP) projects and to join the consortiums that win them.
Read PDF