Illegal settlements removed
Re-zoning opens Basra district up for residential housing development
BASRA, January 31 – Officials in Basra have confirmed a recent re-zoning in Khor Al-Zubair, making the Al-Najm Al Janoubi area eligible for development of residential homes.
Covering 9,000 plots of available land, the area was formerly owned by three major factories producing iron, steel, and petrochemicals.
Al-Narjes Company, known for executing major projects in Basra governorate, is slated to undertake development of the district.
Al-Najm Al-Janoubi was initially reserved for distribution to employees of the Ministry of Industry in 1993. Without development, area farmers slowly took over, using the land for agriculture and housing settlements.
Khor Al-Zubair’s municipality removed the unauthorized buildings in 2022 and opened four streets connecting Al-Najm Al-Janoubi to the rest of the district.
District Commissioner Abbas Maher, told 964media, “We held a meeting with relevant departments to resolve the issue of dividing the area, and [new] work will begin after years of delay.”
“The land in Al-Najm Al-Janoubi will provide new neighborhoods for [residents], along with the establishment of infrastructure. Our next step is to address the local government to create a comprehensive residential city to expand the borders of Khor Al-Zubair district,” Maher added.
Bader Mohammed, a representative of the residents of Al-Najm Al-Janoubi, told 964media that maps of the area had been completed with aerial coordinates identifying reference points.
“The land’s value has reached 40 million dinars after the approval of the Khor Al-Zubair court to divide these lands up. We will pursue granting a work permit to Al-Narjes Company to transform it into a comprehensive residential city, as it has proven its success in other projects,’’ he added.