AMMAN — A natural gas supply project for Al Rawdah Industrial Estate in the Maan Development Area is set to enter implementation following the laying of its foundation stone by Prime Minister Jafar Hassan, official said.

 

The project, funded through an Emirati grant from the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD), is valued at nearly JD10 million and is expected to be completed within 18 months, according to a Prime Ministry statement.

 

The project is part of a government plan to expand natural gas supplies to industrial zones across the Kingdom. The ADFD has allocated a total of JD50 million to support natural gas projects in industrial cities in several governorates, the statement said.

 

The initiative is expected to reduce energy costs for industrial facilities by 35 to 60 per cent, improve production efficiency and enhance the competitiveness of industrial zones, according to the statement.

 

Maan Development Company CEO Mohammad Fawaz Abu Tayeh said the availability of natural gas would help lower operating costs, improve production efficiency, support the expansion of existing industrial projects and attract new investments.

 

“Efficient and competitively priced energy supplies are key factors in investment decisions,” Abu Tayeh said, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

 

He said that the project follows the signing of contracts to supply natural gas to the Al Rawdah and Al Muwaqqar industrial cities, with funding and support from the ADFD.

 

Abu Tayeh said that the project would add to the investment incentives offered at Al Rawdah Industrial Estate, including reduced electricity tariffs for five years, wage, social security and transport support for three years, a 50 per cent discount on container handling fees at Aqaba Port, and reduced industrial land prices for eligible projects.

 

He said that the project is expected to strengthen the industrial estate’s competitiveness, support national exports and contribute to job creation in Maan Governorate.

 

Similar natural gas projects have been completed in South Aqaba, Quweira, Qastal and Hashimiteh, while work is under way in Al Rawdah and Al Muwaqqar. Studies are also being conducted for the King Hussein Bin Talal Development Zone in Mafraq and Zarqa, according to Petra.

 

Abu Tayeh said that Maan Development Company would continue working with government institutions and other partners to develop infrastructure and services in the Maan Development Area and support investment and economic activity in the Kingdom’s south.

 

He also expressed appreciation for the UAE’s support through the ADFD, describing it as part of the development partnership between Jordan and the UAE.