EU announces assistance package for Jordan worth 902.4 million euros

AMMAN — A new EU assistance package for Jordan was announced on Tuesday, on the sidelines of His Majesty King Abdullah’s visit to Brussels, where he met with EU leadership.

The total value of assistance in grants and loans reached nearly 902.4 million euros, with the signing of four grant agreements, while the remaining agreements will be signed within a timeframe that extends until the end of next year, according to a Royal Court statement.

Four EU grant agreements at a total value of 207 million euros were signed on Tuesday by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi on behalf of Jordan and Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi on behalf of the EU.

The agreements include two grants to support the Aqaba-Amman Water Desalination and Conveyance Project, which is a strategic project for Jordan’s water security, with the first grant worth 50 million euros, while the second is valued at 47 million euros, the statement said.

The third grant of 65 million euros is allocated for supporting entrepreneurship and private sector development, as it is sector-targeted support to the state budget to improve the business ecosystem and advance the private sector, especially small-and medium-sized enterprises working in green and digital industries, to create more job opportunities for young Jordanians.

The fourth grant, at 45 million euros to support the state budget, was allocated for programmes that promote inclusive, equitable, and quality education for Syrian refugees and Jordanian children and youth, in addition to supporting the implementation of educational programmes in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, providing opportunities of higher education and technical training for Syrian refugees and Jordanians, according to the statement.

The remaining assistance agreements of funds and loans from the EU and the European Investment Bank (EIB), valued at 695.4 million euros, will be signed within a timeframe that extends until the end of 2024, whereby assistance will support priority development projects through the state budget, including loans of 105.4 million euros to support the implementation of Jordan’s Economic Modernisation Vision, as well as grants to support Jordan’s response to the Syrian refugees crisis worth 90 million euros.

Assistance also includes two development loans from the EIB at a total value of 500 million euros within the framework of enhancing cooperation between Jordan and the bank, with the first part of 100 million euros to support the Aqaba-Amman Water De-salination and Conveyance Project, while the remaining 400 million euros will go to support water sector reforms through programmes to enhance water security and climate adaptation in Jordan, the statement said.

The provided assistance will be utilised based on the implementation plans of the relevant projects over three to four years.