Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book shows how contemporary megaprojects in Amman, which were produced mainly through the investment of Gulf capital in the city, and the developers' discourse on these projects create the city as a global city. It discusses the Jordanian identity as expressed in and created through megaprojects in Amman and as communicated through the discourses of the developers, particularly advertisement. The book argues that the new megaprojects in Amman constituted a significant part of the official construction of Jordanianness. It argues that the production of a modern downtown, tall buildings, and spectacular developments was a means to create a new image for the city suitable for the new millennium. The book shows how megaprojects in early twenty-first-century Amman were a significant example of producing the urban built environment, and the city, as a commodity for consumption.