The Limits of Depoliticized Water–Energy Diplomacy: Insights From the UAE–Israel–Jordan Water‐for‐Energy Deal

Journal article

This paper examines the rise and collapse of the 2021 United Arab Emirates (UAE)–Israel–Jordan Water‐for‐Energy Deal, a landmark initiative that sought to exchange Jordanian solar energy for Israeli desalinated water. Presented as a breakthrough in regional cooperation and environmental peacebuilding, the agreement was brokered under the Abraham Accords with strong backing from the United States and the UAE. However, despite its technical promise, the deal unraveled within 2 years amidst Israel's war on Gaza, mounting public opposition in Jordan, and shifting geopolitical dynamics. Drawing on qualitative analysis and process tracing, this paper argues that the deal's failure reflects the limits of technocratic cooperation in deeply asymmetric and politicized contexts. Rather than addressing structural inequalities, occupation, and historical grievances, the agreement attempted to depoliticize a conflict‐laden landscape—ultimately undermining its legitimacy and durability. By situating this case within broader debates on hydrohegemony, power asymmetry, and environmental peacebuilding, the paper highlights how resource‐sharing initiatives may reinforce rather than resolve conflict when they overlook the fundamental political conditions in which they operate. The study offers critical lessons for designing more equitable and sustainable transboundary cooperation in the Middle East and beyond.

Authors: Abu‐Zreig, M; Hussein, H

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Wiley
• Journal: World Water Policy
• Volume: 12
• Issue: 1
• Article number: e70053
• Publication date: 2025-12-20
• Acceptance date: 2025-10-26
• DOI: 10.1002/wwp2.70053
• ISSN: 2639541X
• Language: English
• Keywords: Jordan River; Oriente Medio; Middle East; 区域合作; 中东; 水外交; Cooperación regional; Río Jordán; 水政治; water diplomacy; water‐for‐energy; Hidropolítica; regional cooperation; Agua por energía; 水能交换; Diplomacia del agua; 约旦河; hydropolitics