Water PPP projects in Jordan: from As-Samra and Disi to the Aqaba-Amman desalination project

Jordan’s water PPP projects run from the As-Samra wastewater plant, which reached financial close on December 10, 2003, and the Disi water conveyance, which opened in July 2013, to the Aqaba-Amman Water Desalination and Conveyance project, whose final agreement was signed on April 21, 2026. The next wave includes the South Amman non-revenue water contract, private operation of the northern wastewater plants and small-scale PPPs below $14.1 million. This post sets out the projects, the partners behind the carrier and the routes open to new partners, inside a national pipeline of $86 billion with $46 billion anchored in Aqaba.

What are the main water PPP projects in Jordan?

Jordan’s main water PPP projects are the As-Samra wastewater plant, the Disi water conveyance and the Aqaba-Amman Water Desalination and Conveyance project. Performance-based contracts now extend the model to whole networks and utilities, including South Amman, Mafraq and the northern governorates, so private partners work across treatment, conveyance, desalination and leak reduction.

1. 01As-Samra wastewater plant. A 25-year BOT by a group led by Suez, worth about $169.5 million. A $205.3 million expansion backed by MIGA guarantees started lifting the plant from 267,000 to 365,000 m³ a day in 2013.
2. 02Disi water conveyance. A 25-year BOT by GAMA, open since July 2013, that carries 100 million m³ of water a year to Amman.
3. 03Aqaba-Amman Water Desalination and Conveyance. A BOT led by Meridiam and Suez that will bring 300 million cubic metres of desalinated Red Sea water a year to Amman.
4. 04Non-Revenue Water, South Amman. A performance-based contract of about 24 years, now tendering, to cut losses across 17 distribution zones serving about 1.4 million residents.
5. 05Yarmouk Water Company. Veolia took over operation, maintenance, billing and customer service for the northern utility in May 2026, with payment tied to results.
6. 06Mafraq network rehabilitation. A KfW-financed program to cut non-revenue water from 79% to 40% through performance-based contracts.

The water sector guide lists 29 projects with their location, stage and value, from network and dam projects to open opportunities such as rainwater harvesting at industrial estates. The starting guide explains how a BOT works and places these projects in the wider story of PPPs in Jordan.

Why does Jordan use PPPs for water?

Jordan is one of the most water-scarce countries on earth. The National Water Strategy 2023 to 2040 puts renewable water at less than 61 cubic metres per person a year, far below the 500 cubic metre line for absolute scarcity, and the country’s PPPs add new supply and cut the water its networks lose.

Water suits a contract paid for performance because the results can be measured in cubic metres. Under a performance-based contract, the company finds leaks, manages pressure, replaces pipes and installs smart meters, and it earns its fee from the water it recovers. The water companies guidePDF describes how a company in Jordan can build a program around this work, alongside desalination, conveyance, treatment and reuse.

What is the Aqaba-Amman water project?

The Aqaba-Amman Water Desalination and Conveyance project is a build-operate-transfer PPP led by Meridiam and Suez. It will desalinate 300 million cubic metres of Red Sea water a year at Aqaba and pump it 450 kilometres to Amman, supplying about 40% of Jordan’s drinking water, with water due to flow from 2030.

The group signed the BOT contract on January 12, 2025, and the final agreement for the National Water Carrier was signed on April 21, 2026, at about $4.3 billion to build. The water sector guide ranks the carrier among the largest projects in Jordan’s pipeline.

Who is financing and building Jordan’s National Water Carrier?

Jordan’s National Water Carrier draws on a lead sponsor, development lenders and local banks. Meridiam owns 90% of the National Carrier Project Company, the EBRD is the largest lender, and Housing Bank leads a local bank syndicate, while Orascom Construction and Arab Contractors are building it.

The US DFC approved political-risk insurance for Meridiam and Suez. The Green Climate Fund provides financing for the solar-backed project, SSIF takes an equity stake and IFC gave upstream advisory support on the project documents. A captive solar plant at Al Quweira will supply power for the desalination project. The PPP developers guidePDF and the infrastructure funds guidePDF show how other organizations in Jordan can take part in consortia of this kind.

How do water projects connect to Aqaba’s $46 billion?

Water connects to Aqaba’s $46 billion because the carrier’s desalination plant will sit on the Red Sea coast, and the industry around it needs the same supply. Aqaba’s hydrogen sites are planned on desalinated seawater, and resorts, industry and housing in the city will need treatment and reuse capacity to match.

A steel pipe plant is planned in the Quweira Industrial Zone to supply the carrier. JPMC has an agreement for a solar-powered seawater desalination plant at its Aqaba complex, and an existing desalination plant already stands at the KEMAPCO site in Aqaba. The Aqaba guidePDF and the green hydrogen guidePDF show how organizations can build on this base, and the opportunity page sets out the wider case.

What role does wastewater reuse play in Jordan’s water PPPs?

Wastewater reuse is a core part of water supply in Jordan, which reuses more than 90% of its treated wastewater, mostly to irrigate farms in the Jordan Valley. As-Samra, the country’s first PPP, treats about 70% of its wastewater and generates most of its own energy from biogas and hydropower.

Jordan has 31 treatment plants, with more capacity planned. The next projects include new plants at Wadi Zarqa and Shallalah, private operation of the northern plants and biogas upgrades. The wastewater and reuse sector guide lists them and suggests direct proposals such as reuse lines that carry treated water to industrial estates.

How can a company join a water PPP in Jordan or Aqaba?

A company can join a water PPP in Jordan or Aqaba by bidding in a tender, running a performance contract, proposing its own project under Article 15, starting with a small-scale PPP, supplying equipment or investing in the assets. The water sector guide sets out each of these six routes.

Tenders include the South Amman contract and design-build network packages. Under Article 15 of PPP Law No. 19 of 2023, a company can propose solar plants for the largest pumping stations, paid from energy savings, or desalinated water supply for hydrogen and industrial projects in Aqaba. Small-scale PPPs below $14.1 million suit rainwater harvesting at industrial estates and small treatment units, and a research lab inside the Ministry of Water and Irrigation could run pilots at about $100,000 each.

Jordan has the projects, a need for every liter, the Red Sea at Aqaba and a law that lets a company propose its own projects.

New technology widens these routes. AI finds leaks from pressure and flow data, robots inspect pipelines from the inside and automated plants clean membranes around the clock. Tokenized stakes in desalination plants and network contracts could let Jordanian savers and investors abroad own part of the assets that secure the country’s water. Suppliers can also make pipes, meters, pumps and membranes in Jordan, with Investment Environment Law incentives and Aqaba Special Economic Zone benefits.