His Excellency President Omar al-Bashir of Sudan inaugurates 320-megawatt plant

The Upper Atbara and Setit Dam Complex project creates 4,000 new jobs, 11 housing communities and develops transportation infrastructure

Abu Dhabi-UAE: 2 February, 2017 

Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD) attended the official opening of the Upper Atbara and Setit Dam Complex’s 320 megawatt hydroelectric power plant in Eastern Sudan; inaugurated by, Sudanese President, His Excellency Omar Hassan Al Bashir. ADFD’s US$90 million concessionary loan contributed to the successful completion of the plant’s power source; Rumela Dam and Burdana Dam.

His Excellency Mohammed Saif Al Suwaidi, Director General of ADFD, His Excellency Mr. Badr El-Din Mahmoud Hamid Abbas, the Sudanese Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, His Excellency Hamad Mohammed Al Junaibi, UAE Ambassador to Sudan, and several high-ranking Sudanese officials attended the ceremony.

The USD1.9 billion Upper Atbara and Setit Dam Complex consists of the Rumela Dam on Upper Atbarah River and Burdana Dam on Setit River. The twin dams, hold a storage capacity of 2.7 billion cubic meters of water.

The project utilises natural water resources to reinforce agriculture production and generate much needed electricity. It also led to the construction of schools, mosques, transportation infrastructure, healthcare centres and 11 housing communities. Moreover, the Complex, is also expected to provide efficient irrigation systems and networks to increase agricultural production in the New Halfa area.

His Excellency Mohammed Saif Al Suwaidi said: “ADFD remains committed to supporting the Sudanese government in achieving the country’s developmental goals. In line with our mission to fund key sectors that yield significant benefits, our latest project goes a long way in serving the needs of the Sudanese population. The project directly supports 93 villages’ overall socio-economic growth and led to the creation of 4,000 new jobs. Moreover, not only does the plant provide a sustainable source of energy, it also helps expand agricultural areas, increases irrigation efficiency and enhances food and energy security.”

For his part, His Excellency Badr El-Din Mahmoud Hamid Abbas thanked the UAE government for its continued support. He emphasised that ADFD’s many developmental efforts have directly

contributed to improving living standards in Sudan. The 30,000 families affected by the project’s infrastructure have been properly relocated to homes equipped with electricity and clean drinking water. Furthermore, he noted that apart from giving a major boost to the national power grid, the project supplies thousands of people in the region with drinking water, and irrigates large expanses of fields growing produce for domestic and international consumption.

Since 1976, ADFD has contributed more than AED2 billion to 17 sustainable development projects in Sudan across key sectors – most notably health, education, transportation, agriculture, water, irrigation and energy.

For More information check link below.

http://diu.gov.sd/ar/home/pages/url/16

-Ends-

About Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD)
Abu Dhabi Fund for Development is a national organization owned by the Abu Dhabi government. It was established in 1971 to help emerging countries achieve sustainable development by offering concessionary loans to finance development projects in these countries, adding to other long-term investments and direct contributions. Additionally, the Fund manages government grants offered by the UAE by overseeing and directly following the course of projects. The Fund has financed 488 projects in 83 countries. www.adfd.ae

© Press Release 2017