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.



Sharaa Tours More Syrian Cities ahead of National Conference

This handout picture released by the Syrian Presidency on February 16, 2025 shows Syria's interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa attending a meeting with officials and local leaders in the western coastal city of Tartus. (Syrian Presidency / AFP)
This handout picture released by the Syrian Presidency on February 16, 2025 shows Syria's interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa attending a meeting with officials and local leaders in the western coastal city of Tartus. (Syrian Presidency / AFP)
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Sharaa Tours More Syrian Cities ahead of National Conference

This handout picture released by the Syrian Presidency on February 16, 2025 shows Syria's interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa attending a meeting with officials and local leaders in the western coastal city of Tartus. (Syrian Presidency / AFP)
This handout picture released by the Syrian Presidency on February 16, 2025 shows Syria's interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa attending a meeting with officials and local leaders in the western coastal city of Tartus. (Syrian Presidency / AFP)

Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa visited the coastal cities of Latakia and Tartus on Sunday as part of a tour of the country that he kicked off on Saturday in the Idlib and Aleppo provinces.

The tour is taking place weeks ahead of a national conference scheduled in Homs in central Syria.

Sharaa was warmly welcomed by crowds that gathered in Latakia city center near the Jules Jammal school, which holds historic and national significance.

The school was established in the early 1920s and it helped shape national awareness in the country. It was the launch point for student protests and an arena for electoral tensions between the Baath party, Muslim Brotherhood and Syrian nationalists.

It was shut during the rule of ousted President Bashar al-Assad, leaving it in neglect despite its significance to the people.

Sharaa deliberately chose to greet the people near the school to underscore Latakia’s national role that was usurped by the Assad regime.

In Aleppo on Saturday, Sharaa attended an open dialogue discussion with several social and economic figures from the city and its countryside.

He listened to their proposals and demands, with sources saying that the talks focused on the state of affairs in Syria and efforts to revive it after the war and regime ouster.

This handout picture released by the Syrian Presidency on February 16, 2025 shows Syria's interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa attending a meeting with officials and local leaders in the western coastal city of Latakia. (Syrian Presidency / AFP)

Sharaa stressed Aleppo’s economic significance and role in the industry sector.

He underlined his confidence that Syria will rise again thanks to its people, telling the crowd that the interim government is focusing on setting plans for 2025 and 2026.

The sources said Sharaa sought to assure the people, emphasizing that “everyone was under the law” and that Syria is not a sectarian state.

He urged them to trust him in tackling the issues at hand, reiterating that he was walking the “very fine line between transitional justice and civil peace.”

Sharaa also visited Afrin city in Aleppo which is predominantly Kurdish.

He assured that Syrian Kurds were part of the Syrian population.

He visited refugee camps in the northwest, stressing that returning the displaced home was a government priority.

Sharaa’s tour is taking place amid preparations for the national conference in Homs. Consultations have already gotten underway for the meeting.