GEM Group to construct 13,500 housing units in Thi-Qar

THI-QAR / IraqiNews.com: The Investment Authority in Thi-Qar on Thursday granted its first permit to a group of European companies for the construction of 13,500 housing units in the province, according to a local official. “The permit was granted during an event held at the headquarters of Thi-Qar‘s Chamber of Commerce and attended by the authority’s representative, Ahmed al-Zubeidi, and the chairman of GEM Group’s board,” the director of the media and public relations center in the authority, Mohammed al-Hindawi, told IraqiNews.com. Thi-Qar, 380 km south of Baghad, has an area of 12,900 square kilometers (4,980.7 sq mi). In 2003 the estimated population of the governorate was 1,454,200 people. Thi-Qar was the second Iraqi province where security responsibilities were transferred from the Multi-National Force (MNF) to the Iraqis. The province’s capital is the city of al-Nassiriya. It also includes the ancient Sumerian ruins of Ur, Eridu, Lagash and Ngirsu. Before 1976 the province was known as al-Muntafiq. SS (P) 1