Abu Dhabi Fund for Development completes overhaul of two grain silos in Jordan

The government is aiming to expand its grain storage infrastructure as worldwide supply disruptions increase

A workers watches as wheat is stored in a grain silo at Jwaideh, near Jordan's capital Amman. Salah Malkawi for The National

The Abu Dhabi Fund for Development has completed a $70 million refurbishment and expansion of two grain silos in Jordan, as the kingdom seeks to raise storage capacity in response to worldwide food supply problems.

The two silos, one in the area of Jwaideh near Amman and another near the southern port city of Aqaba, underwent "extensive renovation" and now have the capacity to store 120,000 tonnes and 100,000 tonnes of wheat and barley respectively, the Abu Dhabi fund said.

Mohammed Saif Al Suwaidi, director general of Abu Dhabi Fund for Development , said the project reflects the strong "strategic relations" between the UAE and Jordan, and will help the kingdom meets its food needs.

"These pioneering projects represent a priority for Jordan’s development programmes," Mr Al Suwaidi said.

The state-owned fund provides development assistance to countries, mainly in the Middle East and Africa, and to companies in the UAE.

The Abu Dhabi fund said it has financed Dh6.5 billion ($1.8bn) worth of projects in Jordan since 1974, mainly in the energy, transportation, water, health and education sectors.

Jordan imports all of its needs of wheat and other commodities. Its wheat import bill is expected to more than double this year to $2.5bn, mainly because of rising international prices fuelled the Russian invasion of Ukraine more than three months ago.

The Jordanian government is aiming to raise its silo capacity to 2.3 million tonnes from the current 1.6 million tonnes by 2023.

The UAE is Jordan's main ally in the region. Last month Abu Dhabi's holding company ADQ said it will invest $10 billion in mining, textiles, pharmaceuticals, food and fertiliser production in Jordan and Egypt. ADQ did not provide a breakdown of the proposed investment.