Ministry to invite bids to implement Red-Dead project

AMMAN — The Water Ministry on Tuesday will publish a call for tenders in local and international newspapers for the implementation of the first phase of the Red Sea-Dead Sea Water Conveyance Project (Red-Dead).

A ministry statement said the winning bids will be determined according to the technical standards set by the government. The ministry added that the Red-Dead is one of the most important national projects seeking to meet the country’s increasing needs for water resources as part of the 2025 Water Strategy and executive plan.

The project, which also involves Palestine, seeks to provide Jordan with its water needs at reasonable prices, while at the same time preventing further shrinking of the Dead Sea, according to the ministry. In recent remarks,Water Minister Hazem Nasser said 300 million cubic metres of water will be pumped each year under the first phase of the project. Jordan signed an agreement with Israel in February on the first phase of the project’s implementation.  In its following phases, the Red-Dead project entails annually transferring up to 2 billion cubic metres of sea water from the Red Sea to the Dead Sea.