Iraqi PM orders land allocation for citizens without housing

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaydi has issued a directive to allocate land plots to citizens who do not own housing, reviving a promise that has remained unfulfilled for more than two decades. The decision has drawn comparisons to the "Dari" housing project launched under former Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, which critics say stalled because of bureaucratic hurdles and a lack of financing, leaving many plots undeveloped. Under the new plan, al-Zaydi intends to involve businessmen and the private sector in preparing infrastructure, tap social entitlement funds from oil and electricity companies, and cover the remaining costs from the treasury. The National Investment Commission has notified provincial investment departments that additional land plots will be transferred and that new permits for residential complexes and contractors have been suspended. Analysts have warned that the scheme's success depends on international-standard oversight, strict price caps and transport links directing development to the outskirts of cities, similar to the "Bismayah" housing model. Without those safeguards, the experts said, the land distribution risks becoming another disappointment for low-income citizens.