An interactive children’s museum is planning to open its doors by the end of 2006 in the Jordanian capital of Amman.

The National Children’s Museum will include a 2,100sq m main exhibition hall with a further 3,000sq m of outdoor exhibition space.

The construction of the museum will be funded by the municipality of Amman, which also donated the land for the site at the city’s King Hussein Memorial Park.

A £3.5m budget has been given to the exhibitions, which will feature multi-sensory environments, interactive technology and a child-scaled townscape.

Exhibitions are themed around three main topics – technology, human life and the natural world – with a number of sub topics including the natural and cultural history of Jordan.

The museum is the brainchild of Queen Rania al-Abdullah. UK-based Haley Sharpe Design was commissioned to develop the masterplan in Autumn 2003.

Construction is expected to begin by the end of the year and will add to the King Hussein Park’s existing attractions, which include the National Car Museum, displaying the late King’s extensive collection of vehicles.