Omar Maani

Omar Maani
Mayor of Amman
In office
April 2006 – March 2011
Preceded by Nidal Al Hadid
Succeeded by Abdul Halim Al Kilani
Personal details
Born Amman

Omar Maani is a Jordanian engineer, businessman and the former Mayor of Amman, the capital of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. He was appointed as mayor by Royal Decree of King Abdullah II in April 2006. In March 2011, the Government of Jordan dissolved all municipal councils in the country, so Maani was relieved of his duties as Mayor.[1]

Maani came to the mayoral office directly from the private sector, where, for twenty five years he had managed Maani Ventures, a Jordanian industrial and engineering group of companies.

As mayor, he was mandated with the creation of a strategic plan to accommodate the rapid growth and development of Amman, which had grown from a small town of a few thousand people in the early 20th century to a capital city inhabited by over 2.5 million people in 2005.[2]

The 'Amman Plan', as the master-plan that Maani has overseen has been officially known,[3] dealt with the future metropolitan growth of Amman, the intensification of the urban fabric inside the existing urban envelope, the protection of urban heritage and the formulation of high-rise building regulations that are sensitive to Amman's hilly nature and topography.

The Amman Plan process eventually led to the creation of the Amman Institute, an independent organisation that is responsible for the ongoing planning of Amman as well as providing planning advisory services for other cities in Jordan and the region. The Amman Institute set up was entrusted to a Canadian consultant working with BearingPoint and had been assigned to Jordan.

Maani's presence as mayor of Amman has also been marked in an increased emphasis on the city's urban image. Regulations to reduce visual clutter, resulting from the excessive presence of advertising billboards, were introduced,[4] initially to strong objections from the outdoor advertising industry. (This was not the first time an attempt to solve clutter and implement regulations. In the 90s Queen Noor lead such an effort). Street signage and building numbering were also introduced on a wide scale.[5]

Education

B.Sc Civil Engineering, The University of Birmingham, UK. M.Sc. Construction Management, University of Southern California, USA.

Achievements as Mayor

Omar Maani served 5 years as Mayor of Amman, Jordan. His office is credited for several major projects in the city including

City Planning and Infrastructure

The Amman Master Plan is an initiative launched under a royal decree in 2006. It is a series of documents that outline planning policies and a future vision for the city and direct development for the coming 20 years.

A not-for-profit institution that focuses on urban governance, community planning and sustainable community development. It has a staff of over fifty (50) professionals.

Community Building

This program empowered community members to create their own image for the city and its people and attempted to establish a sense of identity and loyalty to the city.

Preserving Heritage

Parks and Open Spaces

Amongst many smaller "pocket parks" and planting hundreds of rooftop gardens in downtown

Awards

In 2008, Omar Maani accepted, on the behalf of the city of Amman, the World Leadership Awards in Town Planning Category[6]

He is included among the finalists for the 2010 World Mayor prize.

The Amman Master Plan received the Award of Planning Excellence from the Canadian Institute of Planners in 2010.

On May 29th-2013, chief Amman prosecutor dropped all charges against the ex-mayor due to lack of any incriminating evidence after 18 months of thorough investigation of the municipalities projects and programs during the tenure of mayor Maani spanning 2006-2011. [7]

Personal life

Omar Maani is married to Meisa Batayneh Maani, a Jordanian architect. Together they have three children.

His mother, Subhieyeh Maani is a former member of the Jordanian Senate, where she served for two terms[8]

Professional and civic associations

References

  1. ↑ "Cabinet Dissolves Municipalities Councils, GAM to Prepare for Local Elections". Ammon News. Retrieved 13 March 2011.
  2. ↑ "Jordan Department of Statistics". Dos.gov.jo. Retrieved 13 September 2010.
  3. ↑ "The Amman Plan official web site". Ammanplan.gov.jo. 12 May 2008. Retrieved 13 September 2010.
  4. ↑ "Article from The Jordan Times". Encyclopedia.com. 26 January 2007. Retrieved 13 September 2010.
  5. ↑ "Amman residents encouraged to use street addresses, Jordan Times, May 8, 2009". Jordantimes.com. 17 April 2009. Retrieved 13 September 2010.
  6. ↑ "The City of Amman awarded the World Leadership Awards in Town Planning Category and The Prestigious 'City of the Year - Asia Pacific' award. From www.ameinfo.com". Ameinfo.com. 6 December 2007. Retrieved 13 September 2010.
  7. ↑ "Maani law cases are on their way in closing". 3 October 2011.
  8. ↑ "Mowatinat, Arabic website by the Sisterhood is Global Institute/Jordan". Mowatinat.org. 17 January 2009. Retrieved 13 September 2010.

External links

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