Iraqi’s Ministry of Industry and Minerals announced on Tuesday the signing of a landmark cooperation agreement between the General Company for Glass and Refractories and Saudi Arabia’s Ajyal Company to establish Iraq’s largest integrated industrial complex for silica-based projects in Anbar Province.

Industry Minister Khaled Battal was quoted by the official Iraqi News Agency (INA) as saying that the project aligns with the ministry’s vision to strengthen Iraq’s industrial capabilities. He said the agreement marks a significant shift in Iraq-Saudi industrial cooperation and represents a strategic step toward diversifying income sources and advancing domestic industries by leveraging local raw materials.

The complex will focus on silica as a core raw material for various future industrial projects, including flat glass, bottles and jars, ceramic sanitary ware, floor and wall tiles, glass electrical insulators, and sodium silicate, among others.

Project cost and timelines weren’t disclosed.

(Writing by Majda Muhsen; Editing by Anoop Menon)

(anoop.menon@lseg.com)

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