During the first Energy Event H.E. Dr. Saleh Al-Kharabsheh, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources and German Ambassador Dr. Betram von Moltke visited the German Energy Academy in Jordan (GEA), as well as the mobile exhibition “Energy in Transition – Powering Tomorrow” for its opening day.  

The event concluded with the Jordanian Minister and German Ambassador handing over certificates to the second batch of GEA graduates. 

Under the patronage of His Excellency Dr Saleh A. Al-Kharabsheh, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, and the participation of representative of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Jordan, First Secretary Ms. Christin Knüpfer, the German Energy Academy in Jordan (GEA) held on 14th February, its first graduation ceremony. The ceremony marked the successful completion of medium-term trainings in Energy Efficiency and Solar PV Installation and the passing of the German-Arab Chamber of Industry and Commerce (AHK MENA) , as well as the recognition of “trainer of trainees” according to the DIHK quality standards.  

Under the patronage of His Majesty King Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the MEFED conference has provided a forum for high-level exchange between the MENA region and the European Union. MEFED aims at boosting the transition to a more sustainable, reliable, and affordable supply of energy in both regions. The hosts were the Jordanian Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources and the German Federal Government.

MEFED was held as an exclusive, in-person event and provided ample opportunities for bilateral Government-to-Government (G2G) and Business-to-Government (B2G) meetings and side events.

In the presence of His Excellency the Jordanian Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Dr Saleh Al-Kharabsheh and His Excellency the German Ambassador to Jordan Bernhard Kampmann, the Jordanian-German Energy Partnership celebrated the official kick-off for the work on the Energy Academy of Germany and Jordan.

“In the course of its ongoing energy transition, Germany has gathered a vast amount of experience in designing a sustainable, affordable, and reliable energy system. We are happy to share this experience with our Jordanian partners for the benefit of Jordan” announced Ambassador Kampmann. Minister Kharabsheh highlighted the socio-economic benefits of this transition: “An increasing share of renewable energy in the Jordanian electricity system will provide new job opportunities for Jordanians and support economic growth”

The Energy Academy of Germany and Jordan is to become a unique training facility to upskill technicians in innovative and sustainable energy technology. It will support Jordan’s ambition to become a regional energy hub and create the capacities necessary for a successful and timely energy transition whilst simultaneously support employment and economic growth. In the future, the format shall be optimised and implemented on a larger scale to include other countries in the MENA region.

Mid-October saw the appointment of H.E. Dr Saleh Al-Kharabsheh as the new Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources of Jordan. The German Ambassador in Jordan, H.E. Bernhard Kampmann, and the Head of the Energy Partnership Secretariat, Johannes Uhl, had the pleasure of meeting the Minister a day after his swearing in. Together, they discussed Jordan’s current state of energy and the new Minister’s ambitious vision for its development. Dr Al-Kharabsheh conveyed his ambition to scale up work on sustainability in the energy sector and expressed his gratitude for the continuous and close co-operation with Germany.

In September 2020, the Energy Partnership Secretariat was opened at in the Jordanian Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources in Amman.