Iraq’s City of Gold for Logistics grows stronger as the Cabinet pushes forward two major housing projects in Basra. The government approved key incentives for the developers of Basra/1 and Basra/2, aiming to boost urban growth and attract private investment.
For Basra/1, the Cabinet waived the standard 10% deduction usually taken as the landowner’s share. The developer now has the green light to sell housing units at open market prices. Authorities also allowed construction of vertical residential units on up to 10% of the land area. However, the Ministry of Transport, Civil Aviation Authority, and Baghdad Municipality must approve this. In return, the developer will donate 2,000 housing units to the public.
In the Basra/2 project, the developer received nearly identical benefits. They will build vertical housing units on no more than 10% of the land. In exchange, the company agreed to donate 1,000 more residential units. These units come on top of the 4,000 units already listed in the initial investment contract. The Cabinet also removed the landowner’s share deduction, provided authorities approve the rerouted fourth ring road.
These initiatives connect directly with the broader vision of Iraq’s City of Gold for Logistics. They align real estate development with national infrastructure growth. By promoting both logistics and housing together, Iraq aims to create balanced, long-term progress.
The Basra housing projects Cabinet also gave instructions to all government institutions holding land within the project zones. Each agency must transfer its property to the National Investment Commission (NIC). This includes 122 dunams of land currently under the University of Baghdad. To support this, the Cabinet revised a previous decision and directed the Ministry of Finance to provide the university with a replacement plot of equal size elsewhere.
With these changes, Iraq continues to remove investment barriers and speed up construction. The government has made clear that it wants private companies to lead large-scale housing developments. At the same time, the donation of thousands of housing units will help meet the country’s urgent residential needs.
By linking logistics, housing, and investment reform, Iraq transforms its development strategy. Iraq’s City of Gold for Logistics now stands not only for cargo movement, but also for smarter, faster urban expansion.