Prime Minister Ali Faleh Al-Zaidi Directs Deputy Ministers of Ministries Without Appointed Ministers to Attend Council of Ministers Sessions Pending the Appointment of Their Ministers ••••• Prime Minister Ali Faleh Al-Zaidi directed today, Thursday, that the deputy ministers of ministries whose ministers have not yet been appointed attend the sessions of the Council of Ministers until the appointment process is completed. The Prime Minister also authorized the deputy ministers of the Ministries of Defense, Interior, Planning, Construction, Housing, Municipalities and Public Works, Higher Education and Scientific Research, Culture, Labor and Social Affairs, Migration and Displacement, and Youth and Sports to manage the affairs of their respective ministries, with the exception of powers reserved exclusively for the minister assigned to administer the ministry in an acting capacity. During today’s session of the Council of Ministers, the Prime Minister affirmed that this measure is intended to ensure the smooth functioning of the ministries, accelerate the completion of their responsibilities, and prevent delays in matters affecting the interests of the state and its citizens. He stressed the importance of the deputy ministers making every effort to increase the pace of work and improve institutional performance. In light of the issues raised by a number of the deputy ministers during the session, the Prime Minister directed the Ministry of Construction, Housing, Municipalities and Public Works to prepare a comprehensive study on the Fourth Ring Road Project in the capital, Baghdad. He also directed that internally displaced members of the Yazidi component in Sinjar District, Nineveh Governorate, be included in the One Million Residential Land Plots Project. ••••• Media Office of the Prime Minister August 6, 2026