Security in Jordan

The degree of security in Jordan It’s very high. This is what the data says and, above all, this is how you will notice it when you move around the country. It should be borne in mind that Jordan has become very involved in tourism in recent decades and, for this strategy to be successful, security is a key aspect.

Taking into account the geopolitical region in which it is framed, it is logical that the traveler wonders what security is like in Jordan. The armed conflicts in Syria and Iraq have made the world front page in recent years, tension in Israel and the Palestinian Territories is also common…

However, Jordan is shown to be a particularly calm country in that regard, especially compared to its neighbours. Although there may be occasional demonstrations and discontent on certain issues, Jordanian society lives in a climate of calm and its political system of constitutional monarchy remains stable, with higher levels of freedom than its neighbors and generally accepted by its citizens.

In the eyes of the tourist, attention will be drawn to some measures implemented to ensure security in Jordan, especially in everything related to places of interest and main infrastructures:

• Abundant presence of security forces in Jordan, both in the streets and in the surroundings of tourist spaces, hotels, airports, etc.
• Presence of metal detectors even in private buildings, such as hotels
• Existence of a tourist police created to serve tourists
• Comprehensive checks at border crossing points

In addition, you will notice that Jordanians are especially kind to tourists, both those who are offering a service and any other citizen with whom you can engage in a brief conversation to, for example, request information. It must be said that it is very frowned upon for a Jordanian to treat or deceive a tourist badly. And in addition, there is a certain self-control in the face of attitudes of this type, because this could mean the loss of employment, in a country where vacant jobs are not exactly enough.

In any case, when talking about criminality in Jordan, we refer to small thefts and scams that usually have tourists in their sights, so it is advisable to follow a series of precautions in relation to more or less common situations:

• Resolve ambiguities about the price: as we told you on the
  page dedicated to money
  , prices are usually expressed only in numerical figures, without abbreviation in the form of letters. Therefore, it is not specified whether they are Jordanian dinars or fils, since the citizens themselves understand it by the context. But a tourist who is not familiar with prices may have doubts about it. For example, in the taxi: the taximeter expresses fils, but the traveler may think that it is dinars and pay for the service as such… before the interested silence of the taxi driver. And the same can happen in markets and other stores
• Beware of the ‘cat for free’: when buying handicrafts, it may be that the seller claims to offer local handmade or antique pieces, when in fact they can be imported, mass-manufactured or newly created with a patina of powder
• Not ostentatiously dressed: that way, you will avoid being the perfect target for lovers of foreign things
• Notice to women: watch out for attractive-looking Bedouin pseudo guides in and around Petra. According to some tourists, what at first may seem like a beautiful love story, ends up becoming a scam story to ask for money through blackmail
• Try to always carry the documentation with you, as police controls are common. It is recommended to leave a copy in the Cloud just in case you lose it
• Although homosexuality is not prohibited and Jordan is one of the most advanced Arab countries in this regard, maintain a discreet attitude, if that is your case.