Bureaucratic red tape and political hurdles have blocked the timely construction of an international airport in Iraq’s Western Alanbar Governorate, the province’s Governor was reported on Sunday as saying. 

The federal government has allocated around 75 billion Iraqi dinars ($55 million) for the project following the completion of a design study by a US firm, Ali Farhan told the official Iraq daily Al-Sabah. 

He said the airport would be one of the largest in Iraq and would be used for passenger transport and freight, adding that it would be built on an area of around 30 square kilometres. 

“We have received preliminary approval from the competent authorities to pursue this project, but it is facing political hurdles and bureaucratic red tape…some political parties also do not want to see Alanbar housing one of the region’s largest airports,” he said. 

Officials said in April that Alanbar airport project would be offered to investors and that companies from Turkey, Canada and Australia have submitted offers for the project. 

(Writing by Nadim Kawach; Editing by Anoop Menon)

(anoop.menon@refinitiv.com)

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