Jordan and Qatar on Wednesday signed a framework memo to regulate the disbursement of the Gulf country’s $1.25 billion grant to the Kingdom and discussed projects suggested to be funded under the donation.
The funds are Qatar’s contribution to a $5 billion grant for Jordan that was endorsed by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) last year.
During a GCC summit in December 2011, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Qatar decided to extend $5 billion (JD3.5 billion) to Jordan over a five-year period to support development projects in Jordan, with each paying $1.25 billion.
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Fayez Tarawneh and Planning and International Cooperation Minister Jafar Hassan met separately with Qatari Minister of Economy and Finance Yousef Hussein Kamal, who is currently on a visit to the Kingdom, and discussed mechanisms to extend the Qatari grant, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.
Later on Wednesday, Finance Minister Suleiman Hafez signed the framework memo with Kamal.
Hassan and the Qatari minister examined projects of priority that will be carried out under the Qatari grant.
The planning minister said 60 per cent of the schemes to be funded by the grant fall under local community development, while 15 per cent will be spent on energy projects, 10 per cent on transport and 15 per cent on education and health and other development fields.
A technical team will head to Qatar soon to discuss the suggested projects with the Qatari side, Petra reported.
During his meeting with the Qatari minister, Tarawneh voiced his appreciation for Qatar, not only for supporting the Kingdom, but also for extending a helping hand in alleviating the burden caused by hosting Syrian refugees in Jordan.
He called for further coordination with Qatari charity societies in order to provide more humanitarian support for Syrians who have taken refuge in the Kingdom.
For his part, Kamal said the visit came in response of Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani’s directives to develop ties with Jordan.
He briefed Tarawneh on his discussions with Jordanian officials over Qatari grant.
