AMMAN — The government has signed a financing agreement with the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development (AFESD) to support the National Water Carrier Project.

 

The agreement was signed during a meeting hosted by Minister of Planning and International Cooperation, Zeina Toukan, with AFESD Director-General and Chairman of the Board, Fawzi Al Hunaif, and his accompanying delegation.

 

The signing ceremony was also attended by Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Saleh Kharabsheh, Minister of Finance Abdel Hakim Shibli, and Sufyan Bataineh, Director-General of the National Electric Power Company.

 

The financing agreement was signed, pertaining to the AFESD’s contribution to supporting the electrical supply component of Jordan’s National Water Carrier Project, with a value of 58 million Kuwaiti dinars (equivalent to around US$189 million).

 

The agreement was signed by Shibli and Bataineh on behalf of the Jordanian government, and Hunaif, in his capacity as AFESD Director-General and Chairman of the Board, according to a Planning Ministry statement.

 

Toukan expressed her appreciation for the strong partnership with the Arab Fund, noting that this agreement falls within the framework of the Country Partnership Strategy between Jordan and the fund for 2025–2029 to support development priorities in energy, water, and economic and social development, according to the statement.

 

She also said that the new financing will provide secure and stable electricity supply for the facilities of the National Water Carrier Project, while enhancing the capacity of the national grid to absorb more electrical energy, including renewable energy.

 

Al Hunaif expressed appreciation in the fund’s longstanding relationship with Jordan, describing the Kingdom as a key development partner in the region.

 

He emphasised the fund’s readiness to support the Jordanian government’s development efforts within the framework of the Country Partnership Strategy for the years 2025–2029, according to the statement.

 

Upon completion, the National Water Carrier Project will be Jordan’s first large-scale desalination plant, one of the largest in the world, and the country’s largest infrastructure project to date.

 

The project will provide a reliable water supply of 300 million cubic metres annually to much of the Kingdom, improving water distribution, alleviating pressure on existing resources, and helping to replenish over-extracted aquifers to ensure a sustainable and reliable water supply for Jordan's future.

 

The project aims to ease the strain on Jordan’s groundwater and surface water resources, offering sustainable solutions to the Kingdom’s growing water needs, he added.