JD2.41b withdrawn from Gulf Grant in 2022 — Planning Ministry

AMMAN — A total of JD2.411 billion out of a total JD2.631 billion in funds was withdrawn from the Gulf grant provided to Jordan between 2012 and 2022, according to the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation.

A ministry report, cited by the Jordan News Agency, Petra, revealed that the grant was distributed as follows: JD823.7 million from Saudi Arabia, JD886.2 million from Kuwait and JD701.9 million from the United Arab Emirates. 

The value of withdrawal requests reached JD2.415 billion out of the JD2.631 billion, leaving a remaining JD216 million. The withdrawal rate from the allocated sectors reached 91.79 per cent.

Road implementation projects topped the list of projects funded by the Gulf grant, with JD619 million withdrawn, followed by full funding for the energy projects grant, worth JD415 million. 

Approximately JD312.5 million was withdrawn for the health sector, while the local development grant was fully funded with JD376.9 million. The irrigation and water projects grant was also fully funded with JD213.5 million, along with full funding for the transportation projects grant, worth JD44.9 million.

As for higher education, JD180 million was withdrawn, while JD131.7 million was withdrawn for the education sector. In addition, JD94 million was withdrawn for the investment sector, and JD26.5 million was allocated for the telecommunications sector.

The report also indicated that the amounts for which withdrawal requests were prepared for compensation in 2022 reached about JD32.6 million, while allocations for all funded projects in the 2022 budget amounted to about JD52.79 million.

According to the report, the allocated funds for all funded projects which can be compensated amounted to about JD35.7 million in 2022.

Spending on the implementation of funded projects that can be compensated in 2022 is expected to reach about JD47.5 million.

The report stated that funding allocations for the funded projects included in the 2022 budget amounted to about JD35.7 million. The expected funding requirements for implementing projects outside of the 2022 budget that are eligible for compensation amounted to about JD11.7 million.

The report clarified that the total amount of money spent during the last year 2022 was about JD28.9 million, with a spending rate of 61 per cent.

Among the most important projects funded by the Gulf grant were the construction of Al Azraq — Al Omari road project, contributions to the expansion of the King Hussein Cancer Centre (KHCC), supporting the Cities and Villages Development Bank, Al Mawa for Nature and Wildlife project, supporting the Queen Rania Teacher Academy, the Greater Amman Municipality Intersections Project and equipping stem cells, and support for the Development Projects Fund.

In 2012, a Gulf grant offered Jordan $5 billion, or JD3.5 billion, over five years. The grant was supposedly directed to the State Treasury by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Qatar, with each country's share totalling JD886 million.

According to the report, the grant helped reduce the budget deficit and alleviate the government's financial burdens. It also facilitated ongoing development projects in various sectors, enabling ministries and institutions to provide services efficiently.

Moreover, the grant allowed the government to implement strategic projects outlined in the 2011-2013 Executive Development Programme. These projects included priority sectors, such as energy, water and local development, which helped address issues related to the high cost of imported energy, improving the supply of water across the Kingdom, achieving developmental balance among the Kingdom's governorates with a particular focus on less developed governorates, and reducing unemployment rates by creating new job opportunities.