Prime Minister Ali Faleh Al-Zaidi announced on Thursday that the million-plot housing land project will encompass private sector workers who possess retirement deductions and social security, provided they are not existing homeowners. This declaration was made during Al-Zaidi's presidency of the
Higher Committee for Coordination Between Governorates' fifth regular session for 2026. The meeting, attended by ministers of Foreign Affairs, Finance, Education, Agriculture, Justice, Industry, the Director of the Prime Minister's Office, the Secretary-General of the Council of Ministers, and the
head of the Higher Committee, thoroughly discussed general conditions in the governorates, with particular emphasis on service and living aspects, alongside reviewing various topics and files on the agenda. At the session's opening, the Prime Minister highlighted the new investment cities
initiative, which aims to establish fifteen new administrative and investment cities across all governorates. Al-Zaidi clarified that each city will span a minimum of ten thousand dunams and is planned to be situated as close as possible to city centers
for optimal accessibility. Al-Zaidi further indicated that this initiative will provide Central Bank loans to governorate investment bodies to fund the necessary infrastructure development for these cities. Encouraging banking facilities will also be extended to investors. He specified that a specialized
consulting firm would be tasked with design, considering each governorate's cultural identity and historical-spatial features for effective integration into the new city designs. In a related context, Al-Zaidi directed the formation of specialized committees in each governorate to define the
essential activities and requirements needed for their respective proposed investment city. Regarding the million-plot housing land project, Al-Zaidi reaffirmed that beneficiaries would include private sector workers with retirement deductions and a social security system, who do not own any other housing.
To monitor this crucial project, the Director of the Prime Minister's Office, who also chairs the project's steering committee, presented a report on the progress and completion rates in various governorates. He also addressed the status of personnel assigned from
governorates to real estate registration directorates responsible for completing project procedures, underscoring the vital need for coordination between governors and the Ministry of Construction and Housing to secure the necessary external infrastructure. During the meeting, comprehensive discussions on agenda items led
to the approval of several significant decisions. Concerning the investment cities initiative, the committee voted to establish a body chaired by the General Coordinator for Governorate Affairs, with membership from governors, a representative from the Prime Minister's Office, and the
Coordination Authority. This committee will prepare lands for the new investment cities across all governorates, ensuring each plot is at least 10,000 dunams, close to water sources and city centers, and free of legal complexities, making them ready for handover
to the National Investment Commission for infrastructure development according to approved specifications and designs. The meeting also approved tasking the Ministry of Agriculture with preparing a detailed report on compensation for revoked agricultural contracts in the governorates. Furthermore, it was decided
that governorates, in collaboration with the Ministry of Construction and Housing and relevant ministries and entities, would explore issues related to external infrastructure projects in the cities where the initiative will be implemented, such as wastewater treatment plants, water purification
stations, and securing electricity supply. Regarding stalled and uninitiated investment licenses in Baghdad Governorate, the meeting approved forming a committee chaired by the Legal Advisor to the Prime Minister, including members from various relevant entities. This committee will study and address
the legal, technical, and administrative obstacles facing these identified stalled projects, and develop necessary solutions for their completion within specified timelines. Similarly, for Nineveh Governorate, a committee was decided upon to investigate the reasons for the non-signing of contracts for
several investment license projects there. Attendees also voted to amend paragraph (3) of item second of Authority's decision No. (31 for 2023), so that secondary roads mentioned in paragraph (third) of Article (2) of Statement No. (1 for 2022) become local
roads subject to governorate administration in all related matters. The meeting further approved supporting youth forums in Baghdad Governorate through their rehabilitation and maintenance by the governorate. In media affairs, recommendations concerning the media committee responsible for supervising and monitoring
media departments in the governorates were endorsed.
