DEAD SEA SHORES, Jordan, May 22 (UPI) -- A protocol has reportedly been signed for a feasibility study for constructing a canal between the Red Sea and Dead Sea in the Middle East.
Israeli Infrastructure Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer told a news conference during the World Economic Forum such a project was a "unique opportunity for cooperation among the regional countries."
Palestinian Planning and International Cooperation Minister Ghassan Khatib agreed, saying the project was "ideal for regional cooperation, for it will also have large economic and social benefits that could improve the conditions of people in the three countries."
Jordan, Israel and Palestinian are involved in the project.
The World Bank will finance the $20-million feasibility study of the 110-mile (180-kilometer) canal that would include open canals, tunnels and pipes linking the two seas.
The construction of the Red-Dead Sea Canal, as it has been called, is expected to cost more $3 billion and might take up to five years to complete once financing is secured.
Jordan officials say such a canal would save the Dead Sea, the lowest point on Earth, from evaporating. The Dead Sea loses more than 27 inches (70 centimeters) of water annually.
