Amman: Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign and Expatriate Affairs, Daifallah Fayez, recently received the credentials of Oleg Serebrian, Moldova's non-resident accredited ambassador to Jordan. In another significant development, Jordan has forged a $78.2 million partnership agreement with the United States to support the kingdom's infrastructure for the National Water Conveyance Project.
According to Jordan News Agency, the agreement was formalized by Sufian Bataineh, Secretary-General of the Water Authority of Jordan, and representatives from the U.S. government. The signing was witnessed by key officials, including Minister of Water and Irrigation Raed Abu Soud and Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Zeina Toukan, alongside executives from national water utilities and international donor agencies.
The initiative is primarily funded by a $69 million grant from the U.S., with Jordan contributing $9.2 million. It aims to enhance municipal infrastructure to handle the fresh water volumes expected from the desalination pipeline. Abu Soud indicated that this agreement is crucial for upgrading utility networks, in line with royal directives for sustainable water solutions. The investments are expected to improve supply continuity, reduce system losses, and enhance institutional performance under Jordan's National Water Strategy 2023-2040.
Minister Toukan referred to the agreement as a starting point for secondary infrastructure projects linked to the cross-country network. Bataineh highlighted that this marks Jordan's transition from planning to execution for its largest-ever water infrastructure project, expected to meet 40% of the kingdom's municipal drinking water needs.
The project, set for completion by 2030, will establish vital water transmission infrastructure in the Amman and Zarqa governorates, including storage reservoirs and bulk transmission lines. The bilateral agreement also covers engineering design and supervision for future expansions, in addition to capacity-building programs for the ministry and regional utilities. Advanced systems will be introduced to monitor network pressures and detect leaks.
Officials emphasized that the $78.2 million package is part of the broader National Conveyance Readiness Program, encompassing 11 major projects with an estimated $850 million investment. The U.S. has supported Jordan's planning efforts over the past four years, reflecting confidence in Jordan's ability to manage complex utility developments amid climate challenges.