Iraq has awarded the contract to build one of the largest cargo airports in the Middle East to a Kuwaiti firm, according to a media report on Monday.
Al Nasriyah Al Kuwaitiah General Trading and Contracting Company, a Kuwaiti-based firm, will construct the airport in central Al Diwaniyah, said Al Mada Press network.
Ammar Al Madani, the province's governor, signed the deal with the Kuwaiti firm on Sunday.
"It is Iraq's first cargo airport and one of the largest projects of its kind in the Middle East...it will also include a cargo village, an industrial zone, a free zone, hotels and other facilities... it will be built on an investment basis," he said.
A German firm will design the project.
"This project is highly feasible given the province's location between five other Iraqi governorates and the presence of a large rail network. It will give a strong push to the governorate's economy and provide thousands of jobs," added the governor.
Naji Al Ajami, Director General of Al Nasriyah Al Kuwaitiah, said the company had already conducted geological surveys for the project site and would soon embark on preparing maps and designs.
However, both officials did not mention the project's estimate costs or capacity.
© Zawya 2014
