Jordan to build desalination plant

AMMAN: Jordan said yesterday it plans to build a Red Sea desalination plant operating within five years, to provide the mostly-desert and droughthit kingdom with critical drinking water. The cost of the project is estimated at “around $1 billion” and will be built in the Gulf of Aqaba. The plant is expected to produce 250-300 million cu m of potable water per year, and should be ready for operation in 2025 or 2026. — AFP (See Page 9)