Iraq authorizes new steel factory and airport in Al-Diwaniyah
A steel factory. Photo: MEED
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – As part of a post-war reconstruction plan, Iraq has authorized two projects, including the development of a new non-military airport and a steel mill.
The authorization was granted by the Iraqi Prime Minister, Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, during a cabinet meeting on Wednesday that included the Supreme Committee for Construction and Investment.
The two projects are planned to be constructed in Al-Diwaniyah governorate.
A statement released by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) revealed that the contractors for these projects will be chosen by the National Investment Commission (NIC).
Although the announcement lacked details regarding the airport, Iraq has been actively constructing new seaports and airports to increase its logistical capabilities.
The Director General of the State Company for Iron and Steel (SCIS), Abbas Hayal, said this week that the government intends to sign a contract with a major Chinese company to build a steel plant in Iraq.
“In addition to steel plants currently operating in Iraq, the government is planning to set up new plants in several governorates,” Hayal told the Iraqi News Agency (INA).
The Iraqi official clarified that a delegation headed by the Minister of Industry and Minerals, Khaled Battal, visited the headquarters of a Chinese company in China before negotiations took place between the two sides.
Further discussions are scheduled to be held this week with the Chinese company, which was granted three square kilometers of land to set up a large industrial city.
Al-Sudani inaugurated earlier this month a rolling mill in the southern Iraqi governorate of Basra to produce metal bars and sheets.
The operation at the rolling mill, one of the factories of the SCIS, has been stopped since 2003.
During the past years, plans have been developed to carry out an integrated project rehabilitating the steel industry in Iraq.