SECURITY IN JORDAN

What is the level of safety in Jordan?

The level of safety in Jordan is very high. This is what the data shows and, above all, what you will notice as you move around the country. It’s important to keep in mind that Jordan has focused heavily on tourism in recent decades, and for this strategy to succeed, security is a key aspect.

Given the geopolitical region in which it is located, it is logical for travelers to wonder about the safety in Jordan. The ongoing conflicts in Syria and Iraq have made global headlines in recent years, and tension in Israel and the Palestinian Territories is also common.

However, Jordan stands out as a particularly calm country in this regard, especially compared to its neighbors. Although there may be occasional demonstrations and discontent over 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 widely accepted by its citizens.

From a tourist’s perspective, attention will be drawn to some measures implemented to ensure security in Jordan, especially in everything related to places of interest and major infrastructure:

• Abundant presence of security forces in Jordan, both on the streets and in the vicinity of tourist areas, hotels, airports, etc.
• Presence of metal detectors even in private buildings such as hotels Existence of a tourist police force created to serve tourists
• Exhaustive controls at border crossings

In addition, you will notice that Jordanians are especially friendly to tourists, both those offering a service and any other citizen with whom you can engage in a brief conversation, for example, to request information. It should be noted that it is very frowned upon for a Jordanian to treat a tourist badly or deceive them. Moreover, there is a certain self-control against such attitudes, as this could mean losing their job in a country where vacant jobs are not abundant.

In any case, when talking about crime in Jordan, we refer to small thefts and scams that often target tourists, so it is recommended to take a series of precautions regarding more or less common situations:

• Clarify any ambiguity about the price: as we mentioned on the money page, prices are usually expressed only in numerical figures, without abbreviation in the form of letters. Therefore, it is not specified whether it is Jordanian dinars or fils, since the citizens themselves understand it by context. But a tourist who is not familiar with the prices may have doubts about it. For example, in a taxi: the meter expresses fils, but the traveler may think it is dinars and pay for the service as such… to the interested silence of the taxi driver. And the same can happen in markets and other stores.
• Beware of “free cats”: when buying crafts, the seller may claim to offer local handmade or ancient pieces, when in reality they may be imported, mass-produced, or newly created with a patina of dust.
• Avoid dressing ostentatiously: in that way, you will avoid being the perfect target for thieves.
• Advice to women: be careful with attractive Bedouin pseudo-guides in Petra and surroundings. According to some tourists’ complaints, what may initially seem like a beautiful love story ends up becoming a blackmail story to ask for money.
• Always carry your identification with you, as police checks 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.