THE GOVERNMENTS of Jordan and Syria invited bids in April 2002 for the construction of the Al-Wehda dam on the northern Yarmuk river.
The new proposal envisions the construction of a smaller dam, with a capacity of 125m3 at a reduced cost of US$120M, compared with last year's tender of US$220M. The project will be used for supplying water for irrigation and consumptive use, as well as electricity generation in Syria.
The Jordanian and Syrian governments are relying on various Arab loans to cover the project's cost. The Kuwait-based Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development has agreed to give Jordan US$115M for the project, while the Jeddah's Islamic Development Bank and the Abu Dhabi Fund will contribute a total of US$56.8M.
