Abu Dhabi fund completes Jordan grant

28 May 2017

Gulf Development Programme extends between 2012 and 2017

The Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD) has distributed AED4.5bn ($1.21bn) in grants and concessionary loans to Jordan as part of its commitment to the Gulf Development Fund, a five-year grant programme by the six GCC states to finance development projects in the Levant country.

The programme extends between 2012 and 2017.

ADFD has financed schemes across sectors such as mining, water and irrigation, transport, housing, agriculture, energy, education and healthcare, the fund said in a statement.

The top projects developed with support from ADFD include:

  • Tumour treatment centre: $16.3m, 150-bed, 60 per cent complete
  • King Hussein Cancer Centre: $25m, completion target – end 2017
  • King Hussein Medical City phase 1: $200m, 940-bed
  • 85 new schools: $34m
  • Rehabilitation of irrigation systems: $17m
  • Dams: $49m
  • Advancing technical education in community colleges: $9m
  • Renewable energy: $150m, 100MW photovoltaic solar power plant in the Al-Quweira region
  • Petroleum storage facilities: $210m, to be completed in September
  • Liquefied petroleum gas terminal: $33m
  • Road expansion and improvement: $186m
  • Amman road development: $87m
  • Development programme for public universities: $127m
  • Grain silos: $70.5m, handover of Juwaideh and Aqaba silos set for the first quarter of 2018

Jordan’s economy has been buckling under the heavy burden of providing for the estimated 1.3 million Syrians that have fled to the country since the Syrian civil war began in 2011.

The annual burden imposed by hosting the Syrian refugees is estimated at $2bn, and has contributed to the 25 per cent increase in Jordan’s national debt between 2011 and 2015.

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