On the occasion of the King of Jordan’s visit to Brussels, the European Commission announced, on Tuesday 7 November, a new €902 million aid programme for Jordan: €402 million in the form of grants and €500 million in the form of loans from the European Investment Bank (EIB).
Of these funds, €185 million will be used to improve education and technical training for young people, promote Jordan’s rich cultural heritage, create sustainable jobs in the tourism sector and help refugees and vulnerable host communities gain access to education, social protection and water and sanitation services.
The EU will also be launching two new initiatives, worth €110 million, to promote private sector development and education, in particular to provide employment opportunities for young people by helping them to acquire the necessary skills required by the labour market and, secondly, to help small and medium-sized enterprises to develop and create fair and sustainable jobs for young people, according to the Commission’s press release. The focus is on innovative sectors such as the green and digital industries.
The package also includes a new programme for energy efficiency and the promotion of biogas production, with an EU contribution of €10.4 million.
In addition, the EU has signed a €50 million grant with the EIB for the vital Aqaba Amman Water Desalination and Conveyance project, and has approved an additional contribution of €47 million for the project.
The EIB will also provide a new €100 million concessional loan for Aqaba Amman and a €400 million loan to support efforts to reduce water losses and improve the sustainability of water supplies in Jordan. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)