Iraq fund says Baghdad metro needs 18-month study before launch

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraq's Development Fund said 34 separate studies must be completed before the long-stalled Baghdad metro project can move forward, with implementation possible no earlier than one to one-and-a-half years after the assessments are finished. Muhammad al-Najjar, the fund's executive director, said in remarks published in the official gazette that the project was presented to the public before the required technical work was carried out. He listed population studies, transport corridor planning and other outstanding analyses among the missing components, and said the project was initially treated as an engineering exercise rather than a strategic one. Al-Najjar called on the current government to adopt the 34-item roadmap and restart the project, warning that further work is needed before construction can begin. Muna al-Muhammadawi, a member of the Iraqi Parliament's Transport, Communications and e-Government Committee, described the metro as a strategic response to Baghdad's chronic traffic congestion. She said the project would require a clear vision, stable funding and serious implementation steps to succeed.