Prime Minister Ali Faleh Al-Zaidi Chairs 5th Regular Session of the High Commission for Coordination Among the Provinces ••••• Prime Minister Ali Faleh Al-Zaidi chaired today, Thursday, the 5th regular session for 2026 of the High Commission for Coordination Among the Provinces. The session discussed the general situation in the provinces, particularly matters related to public services and living conditions, as well as a number of issues and files presented for consideration. The session was attended by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Finance, Education, Agriculture, Justice, and Industry, as well as the Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff, the Secretary-General of the Council of Ministers, and the Head of the High Commission for Coordination Among the Provinces. At the outset of the session, the Prime Minister outlined the New Investment Cities Initiative, which provides for the establishment of 15 new administrative investment cities across the provinces. Each city will cover an area of no less than 10,000 dunams and will be located as close as possible to existing urban centers. The Prime Minister explained that the initiative will include loans from the Central Bank of Iraq to the provincial investment commissions to finance the cities’ infrastructure, along with attractive banking facilities for investors. The designs will be developed by a specialized consulting firm, taking into account the identity of each province and its historical and geographic characteristics so that these features are reflected in the design of each city. Prime Minister Al-Zaidi directed the formation of a committee in each province to identify the activities, facilities, and requirements needed by the province in the new investment city. Regarding the One Million Residential Land Plots Project, the Prime Minister affirmed that the project will include private-sector employees who make pension and social security contributions and do not own a residence. In this context, the Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff, who chairs the Steering Committee for the One Million Residential Land Plots Project, reviewed the progress achieved in the project and completion rates across the provinces. He also reviewed the status of personnel assigned by the provinces to the Real Estate Registration Directorates to complete project procedures and stressed the importance of coordination between the governors and the Ministry of Construction and Housing regarding the project’s external infrastructure. The session discussed the items on its agenda and approved the following: Regarding the Investment Cities Initiative, the session voted to form a committee chaired by the General Coordinator for Provincial Affairs and comprising the governors, a representative of the Office of the Prime Minister, and the Coordinating Commission. The committee will prepare land for the New Investment Cities Initiative in all provinces, with each site covering no less than 10,000 dunams and located near water sources and urban centers. It will also resolve all legal issues concerning the designated land so that it is ready to be transferred to the National Investment Commission for the development of infrastructure in accordance with approved specifications and designs. The session approved that the Ministry of Agriculture prepare a detailed report on compensation related to terminated agricultural contracts in the provinces. It also approved that the provinces, in cooperation with the Ministry of Construction and Housing and other relevant ministries and entities, examine the external infrastructure requirements of the cities where the initiative will be implemented, including wastewater treatment plants, water treatment facilities, and the provision of electricity. Regarding stalled and uninitiated investment licenses in Baghdad Province, the session approved the formation of a committee chaired by the Prime Minister’s Legal Advisor and comprising representatives of a number of relevant entities.