Shafaq News- Al-Muthanna
Stretching across Iraq’s southwestern desert, NugratAl-Salman emerged as one of the country’s largest yet least populated areas,combining major industrial and agricultural potential with chronicinfrastructure and service shortages.
Taklif Al-Ziyadi, the district administrator,told Shafaq News on Saturday that authorities had granted 13 investmentlicenses for cement factories in the desert region, where three plants arealready operating with annual production capacities of around six million tonsper facility, while construction continues on additional sites. He added thatgeological surveys confirmed large reserves of limestone, marble, and silica sand used incement production, construction materials, and glass manufacturing,strengthening the area’s appeal for industrial development.
In the agricultural sector, Al-Ziyadi said Nugrat Al-Salman accounts fornearly 90% of wheat cultivation areas across desert farming schemes throughlarge contracts that support food security and local commercial activity.
Pointing to promising oil reserves in thearea, he said exploration activities remain underway despite four fieldsalready being considered ready for future extraction. He noted that China’s ZhenHua Oil secured a contract underIraq’s licensing rounds to develop the Abu Khaima field in the Busayyahsubdistrict, where three discovered wells are prepared for drilling anddevelopment.
Additionally, the Jumaima crossing designs arebeing prepared in coordination with the prime minister’s office, thoughimplementation has been delayed by the financial crisis despite allocatedfunding. According to Al-Ziyadi, maintenance works are underway on the roadlinking Samawa to the outlet, while construction of a second lane remains understudy by the Ministry of Construction and Housing. He described the futureborder outlet as a “land port” connecting more than 50 countries, particularlyin East Asia, while facilitating Hajj and Umrah travel alongside regional traderoutes.
Despite the area’s development potential, he described limited electricityexpansion beyond the district center as one of its main obstacles, saying thelack of power infrastructure continues to burden farmers and factory ownerswhile restricting further growth.