Amman, May 14 (Petra) -- Water Minister Raed Abu Al-Saud said the National Water Carrier project has become a strategic national security priority aimed at strengthening long-term water independence and reducing reliance on external sources amid mounting water challenges facing the kingdom.
Speaking during a discussion session titled "The National Carrier: From Vision to Implementation," organized Thursday by the EDAMA Association, Abu Al-Saud said the government is moving toward launching implementation of the project before the summer in partnership with local and international private sector entities under royal directives.
The session also included Jad Hraibi, regional director of Meridiam, alongside experts, private sector representatives and officials from the water and infrastructure sectors.
Abu Al-Saud said Jordan’s annual per capita water share has fallen below 60 cubic meters for all uses, underscoring the severity of water scarcity challenges facing the country.
He described the National Water Carrier as one of the kingdom’s most important strategic water projects, designed to transport desalinated water from Aqaba to governorates across the country and secure sustainable long-term supplies.
The minister said most technical and contractual procedures related to the project have been completed, with the government preparing to move into the implementation phase soon.
He added that the government’s water strategy also focuses on reducing water loss, combating illegal network violations and expanding the use of modern technologies including cloud seeding and underground dam experiments.
Abu Al-Saud said authorities are also exploring non-conventional water resources, including treated wastewater, while emphasizing the need for additional future water projects.
He noted that the government secured a 30 percent participation share in the project to help reduce the cost of water production, similar to the financing structure adopted in the Disi water project.
According to the minister, water pumping from the Disi basin has reached its maximum annual capacity of 120 million cubic meters, while water quality and aquifer conditions improved following the latest rainy season.
On water tariffs, Abu Al-Saud said the Water Authority’s debt has climbed to JD4.5 billion due to continued subsidy policies, adding that any future tariff adjustments would protect lower-consumption households while placing greater impact on higher-consumption categories.
For his part, Jad Hraibi said attracting major infrastructure investment in the region remains challenging, adding that Jordan’s success in securing financing reflects international investor confidence in the kingdom.
He said government participation helped reduce financing costs through the involvement of Jordanian banks and the Social Security Investment Fund, noting that financing for the project has been fully secured pending completion of several final agreements linked to financial close.
Hraibi added that implementation is expected to begin within two months with broad participation from Jordanian contractors and companies, while construction is projected to last four years followed by a 26-year operational period.
He also said the project’s solar power station will become the largest in the kingdom and is expected to provide around 30 percent of the project’s energy needs.
//Petra// RZ
