Jordan to Increase Gas Imports from Egypt

A plant's gas tanks are seen at the desert road of Suez city north of Cairo, Egypt. (Reuters file photo)
A plant's gas tanks are seen at the desert road of Suez city north of Cairo, Egypt. (Reuters file photo)
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Jordan to Increase Gas Imports from Egypt

A plant's gas tanks are seen at the desert road of Suez city north of Cairo, Egypt. (Reuters file photo)
A plant's gas tanks are seen at the desert road of Suez city north of Cairo, Egypt. (Reuters file photo)

Jordan announced on Tuesday that it was seeking to increase its natural gas imports from Egypt to cover a third of its demands.

Hala Zawati, Jordanian minister of energy and mineral resources, estimated Jordan’s gas demands in 2019 at around 350 million cubic feet per day.

“Jordan started receiving natural gas from Egypt since September. It’s on (an) experimental basis for the pipeline but we hope in the beginning of 2019 to increase these amounts,” she told reporters.

Jordan began importing natural gas from Egypt two months ago but increasing imports significantly would depend on construction of a pipeline between Jordan and Iraq which has yet to be built.

“We have not yet agreed with Egypt. Now there are negotiations on how much will be pumped but we hope at least one third of the country’s requirements will be taken from Egypt,” she added, without giving a timeframe for reaching that goal.

Asked about the pipeline which will eventually connect the southern city of Basra in Iraq with Jordan’s Red Sea port of Aqaba, Zawati said: “We’ve had discussions with Iraq that started years ago. It was approved by the Jordanian cabinet, and now we are waiting for the Iraqi side to start working on the pipeline.”

“It’s still there as an idea but has not (yet) materialized... the political situation did not allow for that pipeline to materialize.”



Saudi Arabia Boosts Strategic Partnership with Indonesia in Mining, Food, Pharmaceutical Industries

Saudi Arabia Boosts Strategic Partnership with Indonesia in Mining, Food, Pharmaceutical Industries
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Saudi Arabia Boosts Strategic Partnership with Indonesia in Mining, Food, Pharmaceutical Industries

Saudi Arabia Boosts Strategic Partnership with Indonesia in Mining, Food, Pharmaceutical Industries

Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Alkhorayef is leading a high-level delegation from the Kingdom’s industry and mining ecosystem on an official visit to Indonesia from April 15 to 17 to strengthen bilateral economic ties.
The visit aims to attract high-quality investments to the Kingdom and explore mutual investment opportunities in the mining sector and various industrial fields, particularly food, pharmaceuticals, and auto parts, aligning with the objectives of the Kingdom Vision 2030 to diversify the economy and position the Kingdom as a leading global industrial power, SPA reported.
The delegation will participate in high-level strategic meetings with senior government officials from various Indonesian ministries and will also meet with leaders of major Indonesian companies in mining, food, pharmaceutical, and other strategic industrial sectors.

Key meetings in Jakarta will include sessions with the minister of energy and mineral resources and the minister of industry, in addition to discussions with private sector leaders such as the CEO of PT Vale and the chairman of BioPharma.
Indonesia is considered a strategic partner for the Kingdom in Southeast Asia. By the end of 2023, bilateral trade between the two countries reached SAR22.5 billion, with Saudi exports amounting to SAR15 billion and Indonesian imports totaling over SAR7.5 billion.

These figures reflect the strength of economic relations and the mutual interest in expanding areas of cooperation and capitalizing on available opportunities in key sectors. Globally, Indonesia’s exports reached approximately SAR814 billion in 2024, marking a 1.3% annual increase.
Alkhorayef’s visit sets the stage for a new phase in bilateral relations, with both sides focused on building a long-term strategic partnership that supports their local economies and enhances economic integration between the two nations.