Iraq introduces staggered work hours to reduce traffic in Baghdad

BAGHDAD — The Iraqi government has implemented a staggered work schedule for all government offices in Baghdad in a bid to ease the capital’s chronic traffic congestion, the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers announced Tuesday.

The new system, which went into effect under Cabinet Resolution No. 24213 of 2024, applies to all ministries, non-ministerial agencies, and provincial offices operating in the city. It introduces varying start and end times for different departments based on their functions and locations.

Government spokesperson Haider Majid said the schedule is the result of four directives and is intended to “organize traffic flow by distributing employee movement throughout the day.” The move comes amid mounting public frustration over gridlock and long commutes in the city of more than 8 million people.

According to the directive, offices located in the Green Zone and several ministries — including Foreign Affairs, Planning, Agriculture, Water Resources, and Environment — will begin work at 7 a.m. and close at 2 p.m. Institutions such as the Central Bank, Baghdad Municipality, and the Civil Aviation Authority will follow the same hours.

The Ministries of Interior, Defense, Health, Finance, Electricity, and Justice, along with the three presidencies and education offices, are scheduled to operate from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., depending on their service or security duties.

A third group, including the Ministries of Higher Education, Transport, Trade, Oil, and Construction and Housing, will work from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Religious endowments, the Hajj and Umrah Commission, and various oversight bodies fall under this timeframe as well.

Public and private universities will begin classes at 10 a.m. Institutions have also been instructed to stagger weekly days off across departments to minimize peak-time pressure on roadways.