Iraq has awarded the contract to construct the new Sadr residential city in the capital Baghdad to three companies as an investment project, an official was quoted on Friday as saying.

Phase 1 of the project involving the construction of 10,000 houses will start in mid-2024, said Mohammed Al-Rabei, information director at Baghdad Municipality.

Rabei, quoted by Iraq’s Aliqtisad News agency, did not identify the three firms but said a contract to build the city’s road and power infrastructure would be awarded in January 2024.

Sadr City project, comprising nearly 70,000 houses, adjoins the Sadr neighbourhood, which has a population of around one million and is formerly known as Saddam City.

(Writing by Nadim Kawach; Editing by Anoop Menon)

(anoop.menon@lseg.com)

Subscribe to our Projects' PULSE newsletter that brings you trustworthy news, updates and insights on project activities, developments, and partnerships across sectors in the Middle East and Africa.