National Water Carrier Project agreement to be inked by year’s end — ministry

AMMAN — The signing of the implementation plans for the National Water Carrier Project (Aqaba-Amman Water Desalination and Transport Project) will take place by the end of the current year, according to the Ministry of Water and Irrigation.

On Monday, Water Ministry Spokesperson Omar Salameh told The Jordan Times that the Aqaba-Amman project is based on the “build-operate-transfer (BOT) system”, adding that one of the five prequalified consortiums will be chosen to implement the project before the end of 2022.

“The project is a key factor in the country’s economic growth and a priority for the Kingdom,” he noted.

The project will provide about 300 million cubic metres of desalinated water annually, to meet the water needs of four million individuals in the Kingdom, Salameh added.

The dramatic rise in the population growth rate and the impact of the refugee crisis on Jordan has placed the Kingdom below the water poverty line, which amounts to 500 cubic metres per person annually, according to the ministry.

The National Water Carrier Project “depends on a sustainable source, which is the Red Sea”, the ministry said. 

The project consists of a seawater withdrawal system following the highest environmental standards to ensure the quality of water and sustain the marine ecosystem. 

Additionally, the project includes a desalination plant based on the southern shore of Aqaba, pumping stations and tanks, and a 450-kilometre pipeline, a ministry statement made available to The Jordan Times said.