Promising project

The just announced master plan for the development of Wadi Araba by the Jordan Valley Authority is promising, provided that this ambitious integrated plan finds funding.

The master plan entails the construction of dams, increasing agricultural production and even creating infrastructure for tourism in the 165-kilometre-long valley.

The mega-project will be integrated in the proposed Red Sea-Dead Sea Water Conveyance Project.

The Jordan Valley Authority took over the area designated for this new venture from the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority because it seems to be mainly a water-based plan for the region.

Now that the plan has been outlined, the next major challenge is to get funds for it from local, regional and international sources.

Wadi Araba is adjacent to Israel, just on the border, so it is essential to ensure that Israel does not put obstacles on the path to its development, for security or any other reason.

When this major scheme takes hold, a major population shift can be expected in the region, as many Jordanians may choose to relocate close to the new multifaceted project.

If that will indeed be the case, there is need to come up with a housing project for the new urban area that can be expected to flourish in the location.

A project of this scale will, no doubt, take years to implement, so the sooner the digging in the sand starts the more interest it can generate among investors.