Jordan’s Minister of Water and Irrigation, Raed Abu Al-Saud, said on Thursday that the National Water Carrier Project has evolved beyond being merely a public service water project to become a matter of Jordanian national security, stressing that water policy is a sovereign national decision that will enhance Jordan’s water independence through this and other strategic projects.
اضافة اعلان
Speaking during a discussion session, Abu Al-Saud said the government is determined to begin implementation of the National Carrier Project before the summer of this year, in partnership with local and international sectors, in line with royal directives.
He explained that the ministry has completed most of the technical and contractual procedures and is now moving toward the actual implementation phase in the near future.
The minister outlined the serious challenges facing Jordan’s water sector, foremost among them the decline in annual per capita water share to less than 60 cubic meters for all uses, making the National Carrier one of the country’s most important strategic projects for securing sustainable water resources.
The project aims to transport desalinated water from Aqaba to various governorates across the Kingdom.
Abu Al-Saud noted that government plans are not limited to launching major infrastructure projects, but also focus on reducing water loss, curbing illegal connections to water networks, and expanding the use of modern technologies such as artificial rain enhancement and underground dam experiments to address the Kingdom’s unprecedented water challenges.
He added that the government is also exploring non-traditional water sources, including treated wastewater as a sustainable resource, while emphasizing the need to consider additional future projects.
The minister said the government worked hard to secure a 30 percent participation stake in the project to reduce the cost per cubic meter, similar to the success achieved with the Disi Water Project.
He added that water pumping from the Disi project has been increased to its maximum capacity of 120 million cubic meters annually, and that the condition of the Disi aquifer improved noticeably during the last rainy season, along with water quality.
Abu Al-Saud also pointed out that the Water Authority’s debt, currently standing at 4.5 billion Jordanian dinars, continues to rise due to water subsidies.
He stressed that any future pricing adjustments would take into account lower-consumption households, with the impact focused on higher-consumption users.
Meanwhile, Jad Haribi, Regional Director of Meridiam, said the government’s participation in the project was important in lowering financing costs through the involvement of Jordanian banks and the Social Security Corporation.
He explained that Meridiam is a French long-term infrastructure investment fund and confirmed that implementation of the project will begin within two months, with broad participation from Jordanian contractors and companies.
He added that construction is expected to be completed within four years, followed by a 26-year operational period.
Haribi also said that a solar power plant—set to be the largest in Jordan—will supply 30 percent of the project’s energy needs.
