UAE, Israel and Jordan Sign a Solar Power for Water MoU
London, Wednesday, 09 November 2022
A memorandum of agreement was signed on Tuesday by Jordan, Israel, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to carry out a project involving the exchange of water for solar energy.
On the eve of the UN climate change summit in the Egyptian Red Sea resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh, the MoU was signed by the Jordanian Minister of Water and Irrigation, Mohammad Al Najjar, the UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment, Mariam Al Mheiri, and the departing Israeli Minister of Regional Cooperation, Esawi Frej.
The agreement aims to continue feasibility studies for a contract negotiated by the UAE that was inked a year ago and calls for Jordan to supply Israel with solar energy while Tel Aviv sends desalinated water to Amman.
The COP28 conference will be place in the UAE in November, and the MoU promises to keep "engaged to build the necessary implements in plans in time for COP28."
According to the deal, Israel would buy solar energy from the Jordanian facility that an Emirati company will build, and Jordan will buy water from an Israeli site that will be built along the Mediterranean coast.
Jordan and Israel and the United Arab Emirates signed a water-for-energy declaration of intent in November 2021. However, the contract was opposed by the Jordanian population, who called for demonstrations.
A deal to purchase 50 million cubic metres of water from Tel Aviv was struck in October 2021, in addition to the amount specified under the peace accord between the two nations that was reached in 1994.
(Source: Times of Israel // Edit and Report by: The Decision Maker – International Relations editors)
(Picture by: Times of Israel)