AMMAN — Senate President Faisal Fayez on Monday met Thierry Déau, chief executive officer of Meridiam, the French company leading the international consortium implementing the National Water Carrier Project.

 

The meeting was held on the sidelines of Fayez’s official visit to France, at the invitation of French Senate President Gérard Larcher, and was attended by Jordan’s Ambassador to France Lina Hadid and Étienne Blanc, deputy chairman of the Jordanian–French Parliamentary Friendship Committee in the French Senate, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

 

During the meeting, Fayez and the accompanying delegation were briefed by Déau on Meridiam’s role in the National Water Carrier Project, the financial strength of the consortium members, and the company’s commitment to implementing the project according to the highest international technical standards.

 

Déau said that Meridiam is keen to invest in Jordan, citing the Kingdom’s stability, security, and favourable investment environment.

 

Fayez stressed the depth of Jordanian–French relations in the political, economic, and parliamentary fields, affirming both countries’ commitment to further strengthening their longstanding ties.

 

He also highlighted the role of friendship committees in the Jordanian and French Senates in enhancing parliamentary cooperation and bilateral relations.

 

Fayez also expressed appreciation for Meridiam’s participation in the National Water Carrier Project, describing it as a long-term strategic solution to Jordan’s water scarcity and a commercially viable investment.

 

Fayez also highlighted investment opportunities in Jordan, particularly in renewable energy, railways, public transport, and infrastructure, noting that the Kingdom offers a favourable investment climate supported by legislation providing incentives and facilitation for investors.

 

He called on Meridiam and other French companies to explore wider investment opportunities across the Kingdom.

 

Fayez also praised the role of French companies, financial institutions, and the French Development Agency in supporting Jordan’s development priorities, particularly in water, infrastructure, energy, and economic modernisation sectors.

 

Blanc reaffirmed the strong ties between Jordan and France and stressed France’s commitment to supporting the Kingdom in addressing challenges posed by regional developments.

 

The National Water Carrier Project is considered one of the “main pillars of Jordan’s long-term water strategy” and is expected to “significantly” enhance the reliability and resilience of water supplies for households and the industrial and agricultural sectors.

 

The project, which will be implemented through a public-private partnership model, aims to provide Jordan with around 300 million cubic metres of additional drinking water annually starting in 2030.

 

The project includes the construction of a “large” desalination plant on the Red Sea and around 450 kilometres of transmission pipelines to deliver desalinated water to Amman and other areas, in addition to the installation of solar photovoltaic systems to cover part of the project’s energy needs through renewable energy sources.