Baghdad: Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi has unveiled plans to include private sector employees with pension and social security contributions in a new initiative offering one million residential plots to individuals without existing housing. This announcement was made during the fifth regular session of the Higher Committee for Coordination between Governorates for the year 2026, chaired by Al-Zaidi, where discussions centered on general conditions in the governorates, particularly regarding services and living conditions.
According to National Iraqi News Agency, the Prime Minister revealed intentions to launch fifteen new administrative investment cities across each governorate, each spanning at least ten thousand dunams and located near city centers. Al-Zaydi emphasized the provision of loans from the Central Bank to investment authorities to facilitate the cities’ infrastructure development, alongside offering encouraging banking facilities for investors. Designs for these cities will be crafted by a specialized consulting firm, incorporating the unique identity and historical and geographical characteristics of each governorate.
Al-Zaidi further directed the establishment of a committee within each governorate to assess the necessary activities and requirements for the new investment city. Additionally, the session reviewed the progress of the one million residential plot project, with the Director of the Prime Minister’s Office, also leading the project’s steering committee, providing updates on completion rates and implementation status across governorates.
The meeting concluded with several approvals, including forming a committee to prepare land for the Investment Cities Initiative, tasking the Ministry of Agriculture with reporting on compensation for terminated agricultural contracts, and discussing external infrastructure projects critical to the initiative’s success. Furthermore, committees were established to address stalled and indirect investment licenses in Baghdad and Nineveh Governorates, with mandates to resolve legal, technical, and administrative challenges. The session also approved amendments to road administration resolutions and endorsed support for youth centers in Baghdad and media oversight recommendations.