Netherlands pledges $131 million to fund Jordan’s water sector

Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi met with his Dutch counterpart, David van Vel, on Wednesday in Amman, leading to an agreement on a "work plan" to expand bilateral cooperation.

Water Sector Receives Major Dutch Support

During the meeting at the Foreign Ministry, the Dutch Minister affirmed his country’s strong commitment to supporting Jordan, particularly in the vital water sector.

Van Vel announced the signing of a 31 million Euro agreement to support the national strategic water project, the National Water Carrier. He also committed to providing an additional 100 million Euros for future water management initiatives.

National Water Carrier Project

Jordan's National Water Carrier Project, officially the Aqaba–Amman Water Desalination and Conveyance Project (AAWDC), is the largest infrastructure project ever undertaken by Jordan, a country facing extreme water scarcity.

Its goal is to desalinate seawater from the Red Sea in Aqaba and transport it inland to the capital, Amman, and other highland regions.

It is designed to produce 300 million cubic meters (MCM) of potable water annually, which will serve approximately four million people and make up about one-third of the country's total water supply upon completion.

Key components include a large-scale reverse osmosis desalination plant in Aqaba, a 450-kilometer pipeline to transport water uphill to central Jordan, and necessary pumping stations.

The project is being implemented as a public-private partnership (PPP) with a total estimated cost of over $2.5 billion.

Early works and site preparation have begun, with the first phase expected to be operational by the end of the decade.