AMMAN (AFP) -- The Jordanian parliament passed legislation Sunday clearing the way for the small energy-poor kingdom to develop nuclear power, the official Petra news agency said.

Jordan is the latest in a string of Sunni Arab countries to announce plans to develop civil nuclear programs in the face of the controversial program Iran. Egypt and the pro-Western Persian Gulf states have already unveiled similar projects.

The new law "authorizes the use of nuclear energy in the production of electricity and the desalination of water to meet growing demand in both areas," Petra said.

Jordan, which currently depends on imports for 95 percent of its energy needs, plans to bring a first nuclear power station into operation by 2015.

Power generation for water desalination is a major goal with the kingdom one of the 10 poorest countries in the world in terms of water resources.