The two leaders reviewed existing areas of partnership and explored opportunities to develop ties further, especially in the areas of development and the economy….reports Asian Lite News
President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and King Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein of Jordan, held talks yesterday to discuss the strong ties between the two nations and ways to further expand cooperation and collaboration.
President Sheikh Mohamed welcomed the King of Jordan at Al Shati Palace in Abu Dhabi and conveyed his best wishes to Abdullah and the people of Jordan. The two leaders reviewed existing areas of partnership and explored opportunities to develop ties further, especially in the areas of development and the economy.
King Abdullah II left the UAE and was seen off by President Sheikh Mohamed.
Earlier in November, the governments of UAE, Jordan, and Israel have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) to advance the clean energy and sustainable water desalination projects announced last year.
The agreement was signed by Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, Minister of Climate Change and the Environment; Mohammad Al Najjar, Jordan’s Minister of Water and Irrigation, and Esawi Frej, Israel’s Minister of Regional Cooperation.
The MoU relates to Project Prosperity, which has two components: Prosperity Green and Prosperity Blue. Prosperity Green includes a 600-megawatt (MW) solar photovoltaic plant, complemented with electric storage, which will be built in Jordan and produce clean energy for export to Israel. Prosperity Blue is a sustainable water desalination program, located in Israel, to export to Jordan 200 million cubic metres of potable water per annum.
The three countries signed an initial Declaration of Intent to explore the feasibility of both projects at Expo 2020 Dubai in the UAE in November 2021.
As per the MoU, feasibility studies for each of the projects have been ongoing and the parties affirm that both Prosperity Green and Prosperity Blue have positive potential prospects. The UAE, Jordan, and Israel will continue engaging to develop the necessary implementation plans in time for COP28, which is to be held in the UAE next November.
Project Prosperity was proposed to help address some of the challenges posed by climate change on water and energy security in the Middle East, and to promote renewable energy, sustainable water supply, and stability in the region.
Earlier in Novermber, Ayman Safadi, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of Jordan met UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi.