Canadian firm to build 5,000 housing units in Karbala

KARBALA / IraqiNews.com: The Iraq National Investment Commission signed on Monday a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with a Canadian firm to build five-thousand housing units in southern Karbala, a spokesman for INIC in the province said on Monday. “The new housing project will be set up in al-Askari neighborhood, (5 km) southwestern Karbala, over an area of 443 donums ,” Raed al-Asali told IraqiNews.com news agency. “The project encompasses schools, service facilities, markets, a clinic, and places of entertainment,” said Asali. One Iraqi donum equals 2,000 square meters. “The INIC is waiting for the (Canadian) company to offer its papers, plans and designs for the project,” he added, not saying how much the project will cost or when it will begin. The holy Shiite province of Karbala lies 110 km southwest of the Iraqi capital Baghdad.   AmR (P)/SR 1