Jordan signs $120 million agreements to develop site of Christ's Baptism

The Al-Maghtas memorial, believed to be the site of Jesus's Baptism in 30 AD. Photo: UNESCO

Jordan's government has signed four agreements on the development of the territory around the site of the Lord's Baptism, timed to coincide with the 2,000th anniversary of the event in 2030, reports the UOJ in America.

The documents were signed on August 12, 2026, at the government headquarters in Amman following the inaugural meeting of the National Committee for Preparing the Celebration of the Second Millennium of the Lord's Baptism. 

The committee is chaired by Prime Minister Jafar Hassan and includes Abp. Christophoros of Kyriakoupolis of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem. The projects will cover about 350 acres adjacent to the Baptism Site. Plans include a $50 million Museum of the Baptism of the Lord Jesus Christ, a $40 million pilgrims’ and visitors’ village with a hotel, restaurants, shops, a church, and visitor facilities, and $27 million in infrastructure improvements. A further $3 million will fund a green corridor designed to protect biodiversity and expand pedestrian trails.

Preliminary work on the museum and pilgrims’ village is expected to begin by the end of the first quarter of 2027, with major construction scheduled to start later that year. The projects are expected to be completed during the first half of 2029, ahead of the 2030 commemoration.

Jordanian officials said the initiative seeks to preserve the site’s religious and historical character, strengthen Christian pilgrimage, and improve services while highlighting Jordan’s role in protecting Christian holy sites.

The Al-Maghtas site on the eastern bank of the Jordan River is traditionally identified as the place of Jesus Christ's Baptism and is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

As the UOJ previously reported, on August 10, 2026, the National Committee for Preparing the Celebration of the Second Millennium of the Lord's Baptism held its first session in Jordan, where a pilgrimage development program through 2030 was discussed.

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