About Mafraq

Mafraq Governorate is one of the twelve governorates that make up the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. It is the second largest governorate in terms of area after Ma’an Governorate. The northern Badia region constitutes the vast majority of its area. The governorate is located in the northeast of Jordan, bordered by Iraq to the east, Syria to the north, and Saudi Arabia to the south and east. Its area is (26,552) square kilometers, which is equivalent to 29.6% of the area of Jordan. From the east, it has a desert nature rich in groundwater, which supplies Jordan with vegetable crops and livestock. As for the west, it has a fertile nature that produces olive oil.

During the past few years, the governorate has witnessed a clear activity in the industrial and agricultural fields. The northern Badia region has become the main source of agricultural and animal production, as the Badia has turned into green fields as a result of the spread of artesian wells in that area. The governorate is considered the second source after the Jordan Valley in terms of agricultural production.

The city of Mafraq is the center of the governorate, which contains many monuments, most notably the city of Umm al-Jimal, one of the cities of the Roman Decapolis. The Zaatari camp for Syrian refugees was also established there in 2012. It also includes the cemetery of the Iraqi martyrs, which dates back to 1948, known as the year of the Nakba, in which Arab countries fought a fierce war with the Zionist enemy in the same year. The governorate also includes one public university, Al al-Bayt University.