Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Zeina Toukan and Director General of the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development Waleed Shumlan Al Bahr signed two agreements to fund the third phase of the General Education Infrastructure Project and the Roads and Bridges Rehabilitation Project.
Each project is valued at 10 million Kuwaiti dinars, approximately $32.6 million.
The signing ceremony was attended by Minister of Public Works and Housing Maher Abu Samhan, Minister of Education and Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Azmi Mahafzah, and Kuwaiti Ambassador to Jordan Hamad Rashid Al Marri.
The agreements are part of Kuwait's commitment at the 2018 Makkah Summit to provide Jordan with a concessional loan programme totalling $500 million, meant to support the Kingdom's key development priorities and improve essential public services in various sectors.
The General Education Infrastructure Project will address the need for vocational education facilities through the construction of five technical and vocational schools in Irbid, Amman, Ajloun, Karak and Zarqa.
With a total of 108 classrooms, these schools will provide expanded opportunities for technical and vocational education and training for students in grades 10 to 12. The new facilities will also help alleviate overcrowding in existing schools.
The Roads and Bridges Rehabilitation Project, designed to enhance traffic flow and road safety across the Kingdom, involves the refurbishment of about 2,528 kilometers of roads and the maintenance of multiple bridges in Jordan's northern, central, and southern regions. Additionally, the project will upgrade water drainage systems and introduce road safety enhancements.
Toukan thanked Kuwait for its continued support, highlighting the strong bilateral relations and fruitful partnership with the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development. Since 1962, the Fund has contributed some $2.1 billion to Jordan's development, including $1.33 billion in grants and $778 million in concessional loans.
Bahr reiterated Kuwait's dedication to supporting Jordan's development objectives, emphasizing the ongoing collaboration between the Kuwait Fund and the Jordanian government to implement the country's economic and development plans, ensuring the provision of vital services to its citizens.
