Grain silo expansion project at Juweideh Complex inaugurated

AMMAN — Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Nasser Shraideh on Tuesday inaugurated the grain silo expansion project at Al Juweideh Complex, with funds from the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD) as part of the UAE government's grant allocated to Jordan under the Gulf grant.

During the inauguration ceremony that was held in the presence of ADFD Director General Mohamed Saif Al Suwaidi, Shraideh said that the project is part of His Majesty King Abdullah's directives to increase the national capacity of the food security system and maintain a strategic reserve of basic commodities, such as wheat, according to a Planning Ministry statement.

This cooperation is part of the continuous development support that the UAE offers to Jordan through the ADFD under the Gulf Grant and the pledges of Mecca Summit, which allowed implementing priority strategic projects for the government in several sectors.

He said that implementing such projects comes at a time when the world is witnessing great challenges related to supply chains and availability of main goods that also witnessed price hikes as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian-Ukrainian war.

The project includes establishing 24 silos with a total capacity of 120,000 tonnes with financing from the ADFD through a grant of $33 million, in addition to the already established 28 silos in Aqaba with a total capacity of 100,000 tonnes of grains with a total cost of $37.5 million. 

Suwaidi said that the UAE and Jordan enjoy “distinguished historical relations”, stressing the Emirati leadership’s keenness to offer all forms of support to the Kingdom to contribute to its comprehensive development.

He added that these strategic projects funded by the ADFD will contribute to realising food security through maintaining strategic reserve of basic food items in Jordan as part of the “distinguished” relations between the countries.  

Director General of the Jordan Silos and Supply General Company Imad Tarawneh said that this project will help reduce the damages of the crisis by increasing Jordan’s grain storage capacity by 220,000 tonnes.