Amman, May 17 (Petra) -- Jordan has signed a $78.2 million partnership agreement with the United States to fund a critical preparation framework designed to ready the kingdom's national infrastructure for the upcoming National Water Conveyance Project, officials said on Sunday.

The agreement was signed by Sufian Bataineh, Secretary-General of the Water Authority of Jordan, and representatives from the U.S. government. The signing ceremony was attended by Minister of Water and Irrigation Raed Abu Soud, Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Zeina Toukan, and chief executives from national water utilities, including Miyahuna, Yarmouk Water, and Aqaba Water, alongside international donor agencies.

The targeted national readiness program is funded by a $69 million grant from the U.S. government, with the Jordanian government contributing the remaining $9.2 million. The initiative aims to upgrade municipal infrastructure to efficiently receive, transmit, and distribute the massive volumes of fresh water expected from the major desalination pipeline.

Abu Soud stated that the agreement marks a pivotal step in upgrading the country's utility networks, aligning with royal directives to secure sustainable solutions to water scarcity. The investments are designed to directly enhance continuity of supply, lower system losses, decrease energy consumption costs, improve institutional performance, and deepen public-private partnerships under Jordan’s National Water Strategy 2023–2040.

The minister expressed appreciation for Washington’s sustained financial and technical support to Jordan's water sector, emphasizing that the bilateral cooperation helps the kingdom navigate severe supply deficits while advancing mutual state interests.

Planning Minister Toukan highlighted the agreement as the functional starting point for secondary infrastructure projects linked to the cross-country network, praising the constructive strategic partnership with the United States in formulating these municipal utility pipelines.

Bataineh explained that the agreement transitions Jordan from planning to execution on its largest-ever water infrastructure undertaking. The National Conveyance Project is a cornerstone of the kingdom's broader water security strategy and is projected to meet roughly 40% of Jordan’s total municipal drinking water demands.

Scheduled for completion by 2030, the newly funded projects will build key water transmission infrastructure across the Amman and Zarqa governorates. Capital projects will include the construction of strategic storage reservoirs and bulk transmission lines linking the main delivery terminals to primary municipal distribution grids, stabilizing the network and ensuring reliable service to local communities.

The bilateral agreement also finances detailed engineering design and supervision services for future distribution expansions, alongside structural capacity-building programs for the ministry, the Water Authority, and regional utilities. Technical allocations will introduce advanced systems to monitor network pressures and deploy sophisticated leak detection tools to aggressively curb non-revenue water losses.

Officials noted that the $78.2 million package is the first major component under the broader National Conveyance Readiness Program. The master plan encompasses 11 major water infrastructure projects across the kingdom, requiring an estimated total capital investment of approximately $850 million.

Over the past four years, the U.S. government has supported Jordan's technical planning for the conveyance grid by financing hydrological studies, water allocation master plans, and infrastructure blueprints.

Officials stated that growing international funding reflects international confidence in Jordan's capacity to organize, regulate, and execute complex, large-scale utility developments to combat climate-induced aridification.

//Petra// AF