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Iraq will continue to advance strategic investment projects across key sectors despite current economic challenges, according to government financial advisor Mudher Mohammed Saleh.
Saleh told Zawya Projects that projects currently under construction or yet to be completed—particularly those financed by international development institutions such as the World Bank and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) - will proceed as planned.
JICA’s key ongoing projects in Iraq include the multi-billion-dollar Basrah Refinery Upgrading Project, Hartha Thermal Power Station Rehabilitation project and Erbil Wastewater Recycling Project.
In June 2025, the World Bank had approved $930 million for the Iraq Railways Extension and Modernisation (IREM) Project, which will upgrade 1,047 kilometres of existing lines linking southern Iraq to Mosul in the North via Baghdad.
Saleh noted that these projects are supported by long-term concessional loans, which provide stable financing structures and reduce exposure to short-term economic volatility.
He said energy and infrastructure projects will remain a priority, given their importance in supporting economic activity and improving public services.
The continuation of these projects reflects Iraq’s commitment to its international financing partners and ongoing development programmes, he added.
(Reporting by Majda Muhsen; Editing by Anoop Menon)
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