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Iraqi PM Announces Implementation of Projects to Reduce Traffic Congestion in Baghdad

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani in Baghdad, Iraq (Reuters)
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani in Baghdad, Iraq (Reuters)
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Iraqi PM Announces Implementation of Projects to Reduce Traffic Congestion in Baghdad

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani in Baghdad, Iraq (Reuters)
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani in Baghdad, Iraq (Reuters)

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani announced on Wednesday kickstarting the implementation of three initial projects to alleviate chronic traffic congestion in Baghdad.

Speaking to a group of young engineers, Al-Sudani said: “This government is a service-oriented government and has prioritized services across all sectors, including a package of 19 projects in Baghdad.”

“The launch of the three projects is an opportunity to meet with graduate engineers who have not had the chance to secure employment, with the aim of assisting them in finding alternatives based on private sector opportunities,” explained the premier.

Besides Al-Sudani expressing his support for young Iraqi innovators, he affirmed that the country is on the verge of a reconstruction revolution and project announcements.

During a meeting with government officials late last March, Al-Sudani shed light on the daily suffering of citizens due to traffic congestion at Baghdad’s entrances and the failure of the relevant authorities to appreciate the problem’s true magnitude.

He held responsible authorities accountable for delay in implementing traffic-relief projects.

Al-Sudani emphasized that “the situation at Baghdad’s entrances can no longer be tolerated.”

He reiterated the need for “relevant authorities to prioritize project plans, as there are projects that cannot stand delay or procrastination.”

Baghdad, with a population of almost 9 million, is grappling with severe traffic congestion caused by unregulated car imports and a constant influx of people seeking better job prospects.

The road network in the capital has not been updated, starting from its entrances, and financial and administrative corruption has hampered the allocation of the over trillion dollars of oil sales revenue that could have modernized the city's infrastructure, including tunnel and metro systems.

For his part, the Minister of Construction and Housing Bangen Rekani confirmed that the three projects to alleviate the traffic congestion represent a qualitative leap for the residents of Baghdad.

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Controversy Over Appointment of Palestinian Figure to Run Gaza Strip

In the summer heat, Palestinians line up to collect water from a distribution point in Gaza City, Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
In the summer heat, Palestinians line up to collect water from a distribution point in Gaza City, Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
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Controversy Over Appointment of Palestinian Figure to Run Gaza Strip

In the summer heat, Palestinians line up to collect water from a distribution point in Gaza City, Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
In the summer heat, Palestinians line up to collect water from a distribution point in Gaza City, Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

A report published by the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper on Tuesday said conversations held by US-Jewish NGO, Shomrim, reveal behind-the-scenes efforts to appoint a Palestinian figure, businessman Samir Hulileh, to run the Gaza Strip.

While the Palestinian presidency denied the report, Hulileh said that the proposal to appoint him as a governor for post-war Gaza had gained momentum in recent weeks, but did not yield any results.

Responding to Hulileh’s comments, the Palestinian presidency warned that “any engagement with other arrangements is a deviation from the national position and aligns with Israel’s aim to separate Gaza from the West Bank and displace its residents,” affirming that Gaza is an inseparable part of Palestinian territory.

Hulileh told the Palestinian radio station Ajyal that several months ago, he was contacted by a Canadian contractor working with the US administration with a goal at the time to identify figures who could serve as a “point of contact” between Israel, the Palestinian Authority, Hamas, Egypt and other key players in the region.

“I discussed the matter directly with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas,” Hulileh said, without specifying the President’s position on that matter.

Hulileh affirmed he has no direct contacts with Hamas. “If the Palestinian Authority says ‘take charge,’ I will take charge,” he added, describing his role as someone “who will be used to manage the project.”

Hamas did not comment on the report.

In another interview with Nasradio, Hulileh said he received an offer from the White House to run Gaza when the war ends, adding that he had discussed the matter with the Palestinian Authority. “My name came up to govern the Strip because I am politically independent,” he said.

The Plan

According to the Yedioth Ahronoth report, conversations held by Shomrim with people involved in the initiative, as well as documents submitted to the US Department of Justice, reveal a plan to bring in a figure acceptable to both Israel and the United States and help lay the groundwork for post-war Gaza.

It said Hulileh’s candidacy is being promoted in part by lobbyist Ari Ben-Menashe, a former Israeli now based in Canada. Ben-Menashe says the initiative has gained momentum in recent weeks following meetings in the US and Hulileh’s contacts in Egypt.

Ben-Menashe’s filings in the US outline a broader proposal: stationing US and Arab forces in Gaza, securing UN recognition of a special status for the territory, leasing land from Egypt for an airport and seaport in Sinai, obtaining gas drilling rights off Gaza’s coast and more.

Speaking from Amman, Hulileh said the essential first step is a permanent ceasefire and an end to the war.

He said law and order would also need to be restored, with authority in Gaza “neither from the Palestinian Authority nor from Hamas” but respected by residents. The territory, he stressed, could not remain awash in weapons from “remnants of Hamas or Islamic Jihad.”

Nothing, he emphasized, will move forward until the war ends, though he noted signs of optimism.

A Ramallah resident and trained economist, Hulileh is a well-known political and business figure in the Palestinian Authority. His resume includes senior PA posts and extensive business ties.

In 2005, he served as secretary-general of the Palestinian government and later as deputy minister of economy and trade, chairman of the board at the Palestine Economic Policy Research Institute, board member of the Palestine Trade Center, CEO of PADICO - Palestine’s largest holding company - and chairman of the Palestinian Stock Exchange.

He is considered close to Palestinian-American billionaire Bashar al-Masri, the developer of the West Bank city of Rawabi, known for his ties to US President Donald Trump’s administration.