OPEC member Iraq is pushing ahead with plans to build five large industrial zones to attract foreign technology as part of a post-war strategy to diversify its oil-reliant economy, a senior official has said.
 
Three zones are based in the capital Baghdad, Dhi Qar and Basra in the South, and two in the Central Najaf Governorate, said Mudhar Saleh, an economic adviser to Prime Minister Mustafa Al Qadhimi.
 
“We are pursuing plans to build five major industrial zones to create jobs for Iraqis and attract industrial investment and technology,” he said in statements carried by Aliqtisad News and other Iraqi publications.
 
Saleh did not mention costs or when the projects would be finished but Industry and Minerals Minister Manhal Al-Khabbaz said in February that the infrastructure work in Dhi Qar zone would soon be inaugurated while almost 70 percent of Basra site has been completed and would be commissioned this year.
 
(Writing by Nadim Kawach; Editing by Anoop Menon)
(anoop.menon@refinitiv.com)
 
Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only. The content does not provide tax, legal or investment advice or opinion regarding the suitability, value or profitability of any particular security, portfolio or investment strategy. Read our full disclaimer policy here. 

© ZAWYA 2021