\n 2026-05-23T18:41:32+00:00<\/p>\n
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Shafaq News- Baghdad<\/p>\n
Construction is
\ncurrently underway on 14 residential complexes across several Iraqi provinces,
\nalongside strategic projects that include 16 new cities, a spokesperson for
\nIraq\u2019s Ministry of Construction and Housing told Shafaq News on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Istabraq Sabah said
\nthe most prominent projects under development include Al-Jawahiri City west of
\nBaghdad, which features around 30,000 housing units and 10,000 serviced land
\nplots, as well as Al-Ward City east of the capital with a planned capacity of 120,000
\nhousing units. Al-Ghazlani City in Nineveh province includes more than 28,000
\nhousing units, while the remaining residential cities in the government plan
\nhave been referred to private developers under the real estate developer
\nprogram.<\/p>\n
According to Sabah,
\nthe ministry is increasingly promoting vertical housing as a planning solution
\nto address population growth and urban pressure, noting that \u201chigh-rise
\nresidential projects help reduce horizontal urban expansion, preserve
\nagricultural land, ease congestion, and improve service delivery efficiency.\u201d<\/p>\n
Iraq continues to
\nface a severe housing crisis, with official estimates showing a shortage of
\nbetween 2.5 million and 3 million housing units nationwide. The Ministry of
\nPlanning said around 4 million Iraqis still live in informal settlements
\nlacking basic services, while Iraq\u2019s annual population growth rate of 2.6%
\nrequires the construction of at least 200,000 new housing units each year to
\nkeep pace with demand.<\/p>\n
Read more: Crushed dreams, rising demand: Iraq\u2019s deepening housing crisis<\/a><\/p>\n Government data also
\nindicate that 65% of state housing projects were delayed or abandoned as of
\n2023, further widening the gap between supply and demand. The crisis has been
\ncompounded by rising land and construction costs, weak financing mechanisms, and
\ndeclining purchasing power. In response, the Iraqi government launched 16 new
\nresidential city projects and aims to reduce the housing gap by around 50%<\/a> by
\n2030 through partnerships with private developers, housing loan programs, and
\nexpanded urban infrastructure projects.<\/p>\n