Iraq will soon launch the construction of its first metro in capital Baghdad after a long delay due to financial and security obstacles, an aide to the Prime Minister was quoted on Thursday as saying.

Prime Minister Mohammed Al-Sudani will announce the start of work on the Baghdad Elevated Train (BET) project, which is intended to tackle persistent road congestion, said Nasser Al-Assadi, a transport adviser to Sudani.

“The Metro will cover nearly 80 percent of Baghdad’s area…..the project is part of a master plan for the capital, which has not been developed or maintained for 50 years,” Assadi told the official Iraqi news agency.

Assadi did not mention the project contractors, but Iraqi officials have said it has been awarded to France’s Alstom and Hyundai of South Korea.

(Writing by Nadim Kawach; Editing by Anoop Menon)

(anoop.menon@lseg.com)

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