Amman, May 19 (Petra) –Secretary-General of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Amani Azzam, on Tuesday participated in the preparatory sessions for the Arab Forum for Sustainable Development (AFSD) 2026, held remotely.

Addressing the event, Azzam said Jordan now possesses a "strong base" of achievements in the electricity, renewable energy, energy efficiency, electric transmission sectors, and digital transformation of the energy sector.

Azzam noted this situation enhances the sector's "readiness and capacity to face future challenges." She noted Jordan views regional electricity interconnection projects as a "strategic" tool for strengthening resilience, not merely as technical or commercial projects.

On its feasibility, she said interconnection with neighboring countries contributes to achieving electricity exchange, improving network reliability, and providing alternatives during crises or periods of high demand.

Azzam noted importance of electricity interconnection increases during crises, as regional crises have demonstrated that countries become more vulnerable to price and logistical shocks when they operate in isolation.

She said digitalization will play a "pivotal" role in the next phase of Jordan's electricity sector transformation project, noting that the Kingdom has made significant progress in deploying smart meters, alongside the gradual implementation of time-based tariffs.

She said this effort contributes to load management and directing consumption towards times of lower grid pressure.

She added that automation also contributes to improved planning, increased transparency, reduced losses, and enables electricity companies to monitor networks and respond quickly to outages, as well as supporting the integration of higher percentages of solar and wind energy into the electricity grid.

In addition to Jordan, representatives from Palestine, Lebanon, Tunisia, and Kuwait participated in the preparatory sessions.

//Petra// AG