Housing

Students can choose from a range of housing options for their time in Amman, including staying in an apartment, a hotel, or a homestay. Please note, Sijal is happy to help facilitate connections between students and the following housing opportunities, but all options are considered independent housing. We have an extensive accommodation packet that we are happy to share with students as part of our pre-departure materials, which includes information such as contact details for trusted landlords, and recommended hotels in Sijal’s neighborhood.

APARTMENTS​​

There are many apartments and rooms in shared apartments available across Amman. Neighborhoods close to Sijal and often popular with students include Jabal Amman (especially the Rainbow Street/First Circle area within Jabal Amman), Jabal Weibdeh, Shmeisani, Rabieh, and Abdoun. Anything from the 6th Circle and further west (7th and 8th Circles), as well as around the University of Jordan, is quite a distance from Sijal and will require a long commute. Many apartment rooms are available at a range of prices, usually between 200-400 JD per month, per person.

​Additionally, Sijal has long experience with a number of apartment buildings in our neighborhood, all of which are walking distance to Sijal, student-friendly and vetted by our staff. Rooms in these apartments tend to range from 200-400 JD a month. We send all admitted students a lengthy accommodations packet with up-to-date information for buildings close-by to ease their accommodations search. We are happy to assist in arranging apartment viewings for students after they arrive in Amman.

HOTELS

There are a number of well-priced hotels located within walking distance from Sijal. For students with short-term stays, usually two months or less, many have preferred staying in a hotel for the convenience of cleaning, breakfast and all the included amenities. For students who plan to stay longer, we would also recommend a hotel at the beginning of your stay in Amman, to help you get settled in and give you the chance to attend viewings of other, long-term accommodation options in person.

We have a list of recommended options in our accommodation packet, which we will send you as part of the pre-departure materials. If you haven’t received this, please feel free to reach out to us and ask.

HOMESTAYS​

Staying with a homestay family can offer a number of advantages and disadvantages. For students interested in improving their colloquial dialect, staying in a home stay can help them fully immerse in the local language and culture. Their connections with the family can afford students insights into cultural dynamics, use Arabic in very practical ways and in some cases create lasting friendships.

​As with any cross-cultural experience, however, difficulties can arise. Some students might feel frustrated at a lack of autonomy given the expectations of their host family, whereas others sometimes wish they felt more included in the family. Eating norms might be different from what you are used to and It is difficult to predict what your experience might be, but any student opting for homestay accommodations should clarify rules and expectations with the family in advance.

Sijal has a limited number of homestay families with whom we work. Staying with a homestay family is a form of independent housing, in which Sijal acts only as a facilitator between students and potential host families. Homestays cost 450 JD a month, including internet, all utilities, breakfast and dinner. The legal responsibility for entering into a rental agreement with a host family and paying monthly rent rests solely on the student. Of course, in the unlikely event that something should happen, Sijal will assist you to the best of our abilities; your safety is our utmost concern.

We have gone through a lengthy process to find, vet and interview all homestay families. We trust the families with whom we work and strongly discourage students from attempting to arrange their own home stay accommodations with families they don’t know, as we have the ability to check family references and access information that students do not have. 

​If you are interested in a homestay, contact Sijal to check for availability and request a placement. Please note, we charge a one-time placement fee of 50 JD to cover the administrative work that we put in to set up this experience for you, which is to be paid at the beginning of the semester.