Shdeifat stated in special remarks to “”, that signing the National Carrier Project agreement represents the transition from the planning stage to the actual implementation stage of the largest sovereign project in the history of the Kingdom. The Jordanian parliamentarian described the agreement as a water independence document that translates the royal geopolitical vision of relying solely on Jordan’s national resources from the Gulf of Aqaba, which protects the country from any regional fluctuations and ensures a sustainable flow of water to all provinces, far from any political pressures.
He added that the added value and expected economic returns of this project make it the beating heart launched by the king, as it will create thousands of direct and indirect job opportunities and stimulate major investments in the industrial and agricultural sectors that have long suffered from water resource scarcity. Shdeifat explained that relying on renewable energy in desalination operations will lower operational costs and transform Jordan into a regional model in the green economy, thus significantly boosting the GDP.
He believes that this project is the only fundamental and strategic solution capable of bridging the water deficit gap in Jordan by providing approximately 300 million cubic meters annually, which will completely end the burdensome “rotation” distribution system and ensure water reaches every home around the clock. Jaafar Hassan witnessed the signing of the final legal technical agreement for the National Carrier Project, paving the way for the financial closure in July, and the commencement of construction and drilling works next summer, with a capital cost estimated at around 4.3 billion dollars, while the total project cost reaches approximately 5.8 billion dollars, including financing costs.
The final legal technical agreement came after efforts exerted by the government over the past sixteen months with the concerned parties, aiming to improve financing terms and achieve the best possible price, and improve the engineering and technical specifications of the project. The Jordanian National Carrier Project is the first of its kind worldwide, as it integrates several strategic pillars represented in: desalinating 300 million cubic meters annually of seawater, pumping systems for elevations reaching 1100 meters above sea level through pipes extending for about 450 kilometers, and heavily relying on renewable energy according to the highest modern and environmentally friendly technologies.
The project provides about 40% of the Kingdom’s drinking water needs, and it is expected that water pumping will begin in 2030, forming a fundamental tributary in enhancing national water security. The 300 million cubic meters of water that the project will provide annually approach the capacity and nearly triple what the Disi project produces, and will raise the water supply rate in the Kingdom to 40% of what it is now, doubling the per capita annual share from 60 to 110 cubic meters per year, and will contribute to increasing the number of supply days, from one day to three days a week, in all the Kingdom’s provinces.
The final legal technical agreement included reducing the water price from about 3 dollars per cubic meter in 2024 to an indicative price estimated at about 2.7 dollars per cubic meter, while negotiations are currently limited to calculating the inflation equation to reach the final closure. It is noted that the National Water Carrier Project is one of the most important projects mentioned in the economic modernization vision, and holds the utmost national priority to enhance national water security.
