Building Smart Cities Is A Qualitative Leap In The Capital’s Reality
June 14, 2025 Governorates – Al-Zaman correspondents Baghdad Mayor Ammar Musa affirmed the need to move forward with implementing a vision he described as comprehensive, to bring about a qualitative shift in the capital’s reality.
This came during his participation in the Iraqi Cities Conference, noting that the Baghdad Municipality has adopted the development of smart services in the city’s infrastructure. In a speech during the conference, which was organized by the Federation of Iraqi Chambers of Commerce, in cooperation with the International Chamber of Commerce, and with the participation of the Arab Smart Cities Forum, Musa said, as followed by (Al-Zaman) yesterday, that “Baghdad is committed to urban development paths and sustainable city concepts.”
Signing Ceremony
The Mayor of Baghdad sponsored the signing ceremony of the infrastructure contract for 11,000 housing units in the New Sadr City project, in line with the government program’s directions. Yesterday’s statement referred to (the signing of the infrastructure implementation contract for the construction of 11,000 housing units in the New Sadr City project), indicating that (the signing of the contract comes after successive stages of implementing this project).
The statement added that (more than 30 specialized companies were attracted, and a solid Chinese company with extensive experience in implementing infrastructure was selected), noting that (the Projects Department of the Baghdad Municipality and the Chinese company signed the contract as part of the first step to launch housing projects, within the framework of increasing the number of housing units and expanding them towards the outskirts, with the aim of addressing the housing problem).
Baghdad Municipality is planning to build 20 pedestrian bridges in the capital, distributed among densely populated areas. Baghdad Municipality spokesperson, Uday Al-Jandil, said in a statement yesterday that “the Projects Department will soon implement a plan to maintain 10 pedestrian bridges, 7 of which are in Rusafa and 3 in Karkh,” indicating that “maintenance work will begin in the coming days, pursuant to the formation of a specialized committee to determine maintenance needs, which have been referred to a specialized company for rehabilitation and reconstruction.”
For its part, the Ministry of Planning discussed the challenges facing the Social Fund for Development projects in Sulaymaniyah Governorate, with the participation of representatives of the World Bank and relevant authorities, to discuss the administrative and technical challenges hindering the implementation of its projects, and to expedite contracting and procurement procedures.
Sulaymaniyah Deputy Governor for Technical Affairs, Ahmed Ali Ahmed, emphasized the importance of the Social Fund for Development in supporting local development efforts, expressing his hope to find solutions to the multiple challenges that he emphasized affect the speed and efficiency of project implementation in Sulaymaniyah, including administrative procedures, technical and financial conditions, as well as economic and environmental conditions.
In turn, the Director of the Social Fund for Development, Hazem Ahmed Saleh, explained that the meeting comes as part of the Fund’s commitment to implementing projects and improving services by developing real solutions that expedite work and reactivate stalled contracts. Sabah Jundi Mansour, the Fund’s supervisor, stated that the service projects implemented in various areas play an effective role in improving infrastructure.
In a related development, the Baghdad Water Directorate, affiliated with the Ministry of Construction and Housing, is moving towards establishing additional complexes to improve distribution among the population.
“The maximum energy we produce is in line with the global standard for water consumption per person, which ranges between 250 and 300 liters per day per person, and the amount may increase to 350 liters per citizen per day,” said the director general of the directorate, Hekmat Abdul Majeed Hamid, in a statement followed by Al-Zaman yesterday.
He pointed out that “the amount of water produced is distributed among the population, but the challenge lies in the fairness of distribution and the difference in population densities between the Karkh and Rusafa areas.”
In Najaf, Governor Yousef Gnawi laid the foundation stone for a project to build a 3,000 cubic meter water complex in the city of Al-Mundhir and Al-Ridha, at the site of the Al-Mundhir district water complex. Gnawi said in a speech during the ceremony yesterday that “the project comes within the ongoing efforts to strengthen the water infrastructure in the governorate and improve the level of water services provided to residents,” adding that “it contributes to supporting the water system in the region and meeting the needs of citizens and residential complexes located within the aforementioned geographical area.”
Warsi Gnawi and the head of the provincial council, Hussein Al-Issawi, laid the foundation stone for the project to establish a training stadium and develop the Kufa Sports Club stadium.
During the ceremony, Gnawi stressed, “The Najaf administration is keen to advance the sports sector by establishing and rehabilitating stadiums and sports facilities,” noting that “these projects constitute part of supporting the sports and youth movement and strengthening its role in society.”
He continued, “The project includes the establishment of a modern training stadium with high technical specifications, in addition to rehabilitating the front facade of the Kufa Sports Club stadium, to a level befitting Najaf sports and its history,” as he put it.
Security Duties
Karbala Police Directorate Media Officer Colonel Engineer Ihsan Youssef Al-Asadi confirmed that “the External Road Protection Department in the Directorate carried out a number of security duties to enhance security and provide protection for pilgrims arriving in Karbala, in accordance with the directives of Governor Nassif Al-Khattabi.”
Al-Asadi explained to Al-Zaman correspondent yesterday that “these measures or duties included securing the three external axes as well as setting up temporary checkpoints, which contributed to the arrest of a number of violators, in addition to securing the pilgrims’ cities and organizing the passage of pilgrims in cooperation with traffic checkpoints within the framework of the joint effort to protect lives and property.”
Youssef pointed out that “the security forces were able to provide first aid to a number of people injured as a result of a traffic accident, which reflects the concern of these security forces for the humanitarian aspect in addition to the security tasks assigned to them.” Al-Asadi stressed the continuation of these security measures to ensure the safety of pilgrims and citizens alike.” LINK
Basra Crude Achieves Significant Weekly Gains
Time: 2025/06/14 Reading: 450 times {Economic: Al Furat News} Basra crude posted significant weekly gains as global oil prices rose amid escalating tensions in the Middle East.
Basra Heavy crude closed the final session on Friday up $4.34 to $70.07, posting weekly gains of $8.24, or 13.33%.
Basra Medium crude closed the last session up $3.34 to $72.87, posting weekly gains of $8.19, or 12.66%. Globally, Brent and Texas Intermediate crude oils posted gains on a weekly basis.
Brent crude closed up $4.87 to $74.23, while US crude closed up $4.94 to $72.98. LINK
Gold Prices Rise In Baghdad And Erbil
Saturday, June 14, 2025, 11:47 AM | Economic Number of reads: 361 Baghdad / NINA / The prices of “foreign and Iraqi” gold witnessed a significant increase in the local markets in the capital, Baghdad, and Erbil, on Saturday morning.
The selling price of one mithqal of 21-karat Gulf, Turkish, and European gold in the wholesale markets on Al-Nahr Street in Baghdad, this morning, reached 700,000 dinars, while the purchase price reached 696,000 dinars.
The selling price of one mithqal of 21-karat Iraqi gold reached 670,000 dinars, while the purchase price reached 666,000 dinars.
As for gold prices in jewelry stores, the selling price of one mithqal of 21-karat Gulf gold ranged between 700,000 and 800,000 dinars, while the selling price of one mithqal of Iraqi gold ranged between 670,000 and 680,000 dinars.
In Erbil, the selling price of a mithqal of 22-karat gold reached about 736,000 dinars, and 21-karat gold reached 703,000 dinars, while 18-karat gold recorded about 602,000 dinars per mithqal. https://ninanews.com/Website/News/Details?key=1234299
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