AMMAN — “Once you kill something like that you will
never get it back,” Qais Malhas, chef and manager of Shams El Balad,
said about the recent closures of cultural and social spaces near Rainbow
Street.
اضافة اعلان
Amid the current economic situation induced by the
ongoing health crisis, many cities and neighborhoods are facing cultural,
social, and urban decline. In Amman, just like in most large cities, many urban
spaces have been abandoned during the various imposed confinements. If some
were able to instantly return to their usual dynamism, others are still
deserted or undergoing a slow but certain change.
Rainbow Street and its surrounding area in downtown
Amman have long been a favorite destination for people seeking cultural and
social exchange. From its theater, shops, cultural cafes, libraries, and
restaurants, to its vibrant street atmosphere and festivals like the annual
Jara Market and the open-air Amman International Film Festival, many of these
places have been popular with Jordanians and their guests for decades, creating
a special identity for Rainbow Street.
With Jordan becoming a hub for international
organizations and foreign businesses, the area of Jabal Amman has seen an
influx of visitors, tourists, and expatriates, which has contributed to the neighborhood’s
economic growth.
Matt McCredie, a local resident, explains:
“Rainbow Street represents to me a fun place to live in — a little piece of
Jordan! It’s more of a friendly neighborhood because everything is convenient,
everything is nearby; you get to meet a lot of people in the street, and you
get to make a lot of friends in the community and not just in your building.”
When McCredie moved to Jordan in January 2019, he
quickly made the decision to settle in Jabal Amman. This choice, he says, came
easily when he noticed that the area had the perfect balance of locals and foreigners,
while still being comfortable and very convenient in terms of attractions.
Then the pandemic hit and most businesses were forced
to cease operations during the complete and partial lockdowns that started in
March 2020. Some businesses were able to survive the closures and carried on
through other restrictions such as curfews, customer limitations, and other
health-related constraints; however, others succumbed to the restrictions and have
not opened shop again.
Back in October 2020, Shams El Balad, a popular
restaurant in Jabal Amman, announced it would be shutting down, to the surprise
of its customers and community. Qais Malhas, a co-owner, explains that the decision
became unavoidable after many months of struggling to survive and ensure that
their 70 employees were getting their salaries despite everything.
Before and after the closing of Shams El Balad, other
cultural and social spaces that offer a calm space to read, work, eat, drink, and
interact closed, leaving behind empty glass windows and iron curtains all along
the street.
“I grew up going to some of these places, preparing
for my high school exams, studying in those cafes. I think it’s the result of
the failure of the system,” Malhas said.
If some were optimistic that businesses would flourish
again and that the street would remain bustling and attractive to both locals
and foreigners, others were more pessimistic, telling Jordan News that
creating something unique like Rainbow Street is a long process, one that
relies on constant innovation and perseverance by entrepreneurs that have felt
abandoned — or rather betrayed — by the authorities during the hustle of the
pandemic in Jordan.
Business owners pointed to the absence of support from
the Ministry of Tourism, which is in charge of the hospitality sector and many
of the restaurants dotting Rainbow Street. In April 2020, a JD30 million [JR3] budget was announced to help support the sector through the pandemic,
but according to the Jordan Restaurants Association, this promised help lacked
a clear plan and mechanisms of implementation and was not able to truly deliver
before the governmental change in October 2020.
On the other hand, in the absence of “serious policies” targeting local
cultural enterprises, promoting public-private partnerships, or creating strong
entrepreneurial strategies, the original appeal and identity of places such as
Rainbow Street risk disappearing.
“This is our livelihood, our life, and family business. …” Malhas
said. “We felt lied to as business owners and tax payers. It was a
disappointment. For nine months our future was dependent on people who didn’t
care about our struggles.”
Secretary General of the Ministry of Tourism Emad Hijazeen told Jordan
News that the "level of aid and help provided by any state depends on
its economic capacity … (Closures) within the restaurant sector are tied to the
epidemiological situation and thus the ministry provided (support) in line with
its capabilities, based on COVID-19 stats, to support the restaurant sector. Restaurants
are indeed closed but we are providing other forms of support such as extended
delivery times and fee exemptions,” Hijazeen added.
“We are facing exceptional harsh economic conditions. This is not a
time to make a profit; this is a time to survive. No one is looking to make a
profit these days.” Added Hijazeen.
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