Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Tarek El Molla and his Jordanian counterpart Saleh Al-Kharabsheh witnessed the signing of an agreement for the provision of natural gas delivery facilities to the industrial city of Quweira in Aqaba, Jordan.

The signing took place in the presence of Nayef Al-Fayez, head of the Aqaba Special Economic Authority, the Egyptian Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources said in a statement.

It was signed by Fouad Rashad, CEO of the Jordanian-Egyptian Fajr Natural Gas Company, and Hussein Al-Safadi, CEO of the Aqaba Development Company.

This signing followed a meeting between the two ministers during which they discussed the strategies that have been put in place to secure the provision and diversification of energy sources between the two countries in accordance with the mechanisms that maintain energy security in both countries. It also tackled the plans and strategies of the two governments in dealing with natural gas development projects.

After the signing, El Molla explained that the agreement comes as an extension of the work of the Egyptian petroleum companies that are working on implementing natural gas network projects inside Jordan, represented by Fajr Company.

El Molla highlighted Egypt’s continuous keenness to provide its expertise in natural gas projects to Jordan within the framework of integration between the two countries in this vital sector.

The development of integration and cooperation between the two countries is a priority during the next stage in light of the important role played by the natural gas network extending between Egypt and Jordan, which is a strong foundation for developing cooperation and maximizing the benefit from natural gas resources, El Molla noted.

For his part, Al-Kharabsheh said that this project comes as a continuation of great efforts to deliver natural gas to industries in light of creating an attractive climate for investment in Jordan.

Al-Kharabsheh emphasized the importance of natural gas in reducing the cost of production, rationalizing energy use, reducing carbon emissions and providing new job opportunities, which supports opportunities for Jordanian industries to increase their exports and their ability to compete in global markets.

The Jordanian minister praised the role played by the Jordanian-Egyptian Fajr Company and the fruitful cooperation between it and the Aqaba Development Company to contribute to the development of the Jordanian economy.