King Abdullah of Jordan held talks with President Donald Trump and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the White House in February.
Trump Cuts Foreign Aid but Resumes Support for Jordan
Millions of dollars in US grants for Jordan’s largest water desalination project dried up when President Donald Trump announced sweeping cuts to foreign aid in January. However, within two months, support resumed, the result of diplomatic efforts that have arguably placed the Middle Eastern state on more solid financial footing than before January, according to more than 20 sources.
Jordan, one of the largest recipients of US aid, typically receives financing worth at least $1.45 billion annually. It has now secured assurances from Washington that the bulk of its funding remains intact, including military and direct budgetary support, sources told Reuters.
US Assistance Resumed
Four sources confirmed that payments resumed in March to US engineering firm CDM Smith, which USAID has tasked with overseeing the $6 billion Aqaba-Amman water desalination and conveyance project. Although much of the US’s $430 million annual assistance for development programs remains frozen, affecting education and health initiatives, some experts believe these areas are considered less strategically important.
Molly Hickey, a Harvard researcher, stated that “Trump has protected funding considered critical to Jordan’s stability, namely defense, water, and direct budget support.”
Ongoing Economic Support
A State Department spokesperson confirmed that Jordan’s military aid remains unaffected, calling the country a strong US partner.
The reassurances, given during visits to Washington by King Abdullah and Prime Minister Jafar Hassan, appear to reverse Trump’s earlier stance, in which he warned he could target Jordan’s aid if the country did not agree to take in a large number of refugees from Gaza.
In a private White House meeting in February, Trump assured King Abdullah that US aid would not be used as leverage for political concessions, officials told Reuters.
Jordan’s Minister of State for Communications, Mohammad al Momani, expressed appreciation for the US’s economic and financial support, saying, “We will continue to engage in discussions that will benefit the economic sectors of both countries.”
Key Aid Components
The largest component of US aid to Jordan is approximately $850 million in direct budget support. Sources have confirmed that Washington has assured Amman that the support due in December, already factored into Jordan’s $18 billion national budget, will not be impacted.
