The Aqaba–Amman Water Desalination and Conveyance Project (AAWDC), also known as the National Water Carrier of Jordan, is a major infrastructure project planned to solve

Jordan Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is a country in the Southern Levant region of West Asia. Jordan is bordered by Syria to the north, Iraq to the east, Saudi Arabia to the south, and Israel and the occupied Palestinian ter ...

’s ongoing water shortage. The project involves the

desalination Desalination is a process that removes mineral components from saline water. More generally, desalination is the removal of salts and minerals from a substance. One example is Soil salinity control, soil desalination. This is important for agric ...

of seawater from the

Red Sea The Red Sea is a sea inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. Its connection to the ocean is in the south, through the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait and the Gulf of Aden. To its north lie the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and th ...

Aqaba Aqaba ( , ; , ) is the only coastal city in Jordan and the largest and most populous city on the Gulf of Aqaba. Situated in southernmost Jordan, Aqaba is the administrative center of the Aqaba Governorate. The city had a population of 148, ...

that will then be transported to

Amman Amman ( , ; , ) is the capital and the largest city of Jordan, and the country's economic, political, and cultural center. With a population of four million as of 2021, Amman is Jordan's primate city and is the largest city in the Levant ...

and other highland regions across the country. This is the largest water project the

Hashemite Kingdom Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is a country in the Southern Levant region of West Asia. Jordan is bordered by Syria to the north, Iraq to the east, Saudi Arabia to the south, and Israel and the occupied Palestinian ter ...

of Jordan has ever planned. It is seen as a major solution to the country’s national water security and climate adaptation strategy.

Overview

The AAWDC project aims to produce about 300 million cubic meters of clean drinking water each year by removing salt from

seawater Seawater, or sea water, is water from a sea or ocean. On average, seawater in the world's oceans has a salinity of about 3.5% (35 g/L, 35 ppt, 600 mM). This means that every kilogram (roughly one liter by volume) of seawater has approximat ...

using reverse osmosis. This water will be carried through a pipeline over 300 kilometers, crossing high terrain to reach the capital city of Amman and other nearby towns and villages. With a planned capacity of 851,000 cubic meters of water per day, it will be the second largest desalination plant in the world, built all at once.

Project components

Desalination plant The project will build a large water treatment plant near Aqaba on the Red Sea. This plant will use reverse osmosis to remove salt and other substances from seawater. It is also expected to use

solar power Solar power, also known as solar electricity, is the conversion of energy from sunlight into electricity, either directly using photovoltaics (PV) or indirectly using concentrated solar power. Solar panels use the photovoltaic effect to c ...

to help lower pollution and reduce energy costs. Water transport system The project will build a pipeline system about 445 to 450 kilometers long to carry clean water from Aqaba in the south to Amman in the north, which is around 1,000 meters higher than sea level. The system will include booster pump stations to help move the water uphill, storage tanks to hold the water, and places along the way where towns and cities can access it. Use of renewable energy As part of Jordan’s plan to grow in an environmentally friendly way, the project will use renewable energy, mainly solar power from southern Jordan. A special solar power plant, producing between 310 and 724 megawatts of electricity, will supply most of the energy needed for the project. This supports Jordan’s national energy goals and efforts to fight climate change.

Strategic significance

Jordan has very little water, with each person getting less than 100 cubic meters per year. This is much lower than the 500 cubic meters considered the minimum for basic needs. By 2030, the AAWDC project is expected to provide about one-third of the country’s total water supply. The project also aims to reduce Jordan’s dependence on water from sources that are affected by politics, like the

Yarmouk River The Yarmuk River (, ; Greek: Ἱερομύκης, ; or ''Heromicas''; sometimes spelled Yarmouk) is the largest tributary of the Jordan River. It runs in Jordan, Syria and Israel, and drains much of the Hauran plateau. Its main tributaries are ...

and agreements with Israel, and to help make water distribution more reliable across cities and villages.

Funding, economics and social impact

The project is expected to cost over US$2.5 billion. The money will come from a mix of international donors, development banks, and private companies. The Jordanian Ministry of Water and Irrigation is in charge of the project, with help from organizations like the

World Bank The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and Grant (money), grants to the governments of Least developed countries, low- and Developing country, middle-income countries for the purposes of economic development ...

, the European Union, and countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). By providing water for homes, businesses, farms, and tourism, the project will support economic growth, create jobs, and improve living conditions for millions of people in Jordan. On 15 May 2025 it was reported that Jordan’s Minister of Water and Irrigation, Raed Abu Soud, Raed Abu Saud, announced a major financial agreement with Italy to support the country’s national water carrier project, securing a €50 million soft loan and a €2 million grant. The initiative, backed by Abdullah II of Jordan, King Abdullah II’s diplomatic efforts with the European Union, EU, aims to address Jordan's water scarcity by providing 300 million cubic meters of desalinated water annually.

Current status

As of 2024, the project has finished its feasibility studies and environmental impact assessments. The process of selecting contractors is now in progress. Construction is expected to start in 2025, with the first phase ready by the end of the decade. In January 2025, Jordan signed an initial agreement with the Meridiam-SUEZ group, marking an important step forward. The project’s construction and financing are moving ahead as planned, with strong support from international donors and organizations such as the US International Development Finance Corporation, USAID, the European Union, and the European Investment Bank.

References