The population of Amman has increased to four million during the past 10 years, according to Hazem al-Nuaimat, the Deputy Mayor of Amman.

Nuaimat said that the 1.5 million increase during that period posed new challenges on Greater Amman Municipality (GAM), as they are struggling to provide services and address economic and social development issues and make Amman attractive for investors.

Ahed Ziadat, spokesperson for the minister of municipal affairs, proposed the establishment of a database where local development plans that introduce economic reform and tackle refugee issues could be shared.

Their remarks came on Tuesday during a workshop on "Strategic Planning for Local Economic Development" that is organized by several international organizations in partnership with the Center for Mediterranean Integration and the World Bank.

In the workshop 45,000 governmental workers elected to represent the governments of Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Turkey and Iraq engaged in expertise and knowledge exchange.