Iraq’s southwestern desert draws major industrial investments

Shafaq News- Al-Muthanna

Stretching across Iraq’s southwestern desert, Nugrat Al-Salman emerged as one of the country’s largest yet least populated areas, combining major industrial and agricultural potential with chronic infrastructure and service shortages.

Taklif Al-Ziyadi, the district administrator, told Shafaq News on Saturday that authorities had granted 13 investment licenses for cement factories in the desert region, where three plants are already operating with annual production capacities of around six million tons per facility, while construction continues on additional sites. He added that geological surveys confirmed large reserves of limestone, marble, and silica sand used in cement 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 for nearly 90% of wheat cultivation areas across desert farming schemes through large contracts that support food security and local commercial activity.

Pointing to promising oil reserves in the area, he said exploration activities remain underway despite four fields already being considered ready for future extraction. He noted that China’s ZhenHua Oil secured a contract under Iraq’s licensing rounds to develop the Abu Khaima field in the Busayyah subdistrict, where three discovered wells are prepared for drilling and development.

Additionally, the Jumaima crossing designs are being prepared in coordination with the prime minister’s office, though implementation has been delayed by the financial crisis despite allocated funding. According to Al-Ziyadi, maintenance works are underway on the road linking Samawa to the outlet, while construction of a second lane remains under study by the Ministry of Construction and Housing. He described the future border outlet as a “land port” connecting more than 50 countries, particularly in East Asia, while facilitating Hajj and Umrah travel alongside regional trade routes.

Despite the area’s development potential, he described limited electricity expansion beyond the district center as one of its main obstacles, saying the lack of power infrastructure continues to burden farmers and factory owners while restricting further growth.