Wasit’s Sheikh Saad seeks district status, oil field and planned Iran crossing

WASIT — Local officials in Sheikh Saad subdistrict southeast of Kut say they are pushing to upgrade the area to full district status, arguing that its agriculture, oil potential and location on the Iranian border justify stronger administration and services for more than 50,000 residents.

Ahmad Al-Hamash, director of Sheikh Saad, told 964media that the subdistrict spans 325 square kilometers and borders Iran. He said local authorities are moving ahead with the process of converting the subdistrict into a district “to enhance its administrative reality,” noting that Sheikh Saad is roughly evenly split between urban and rural populations.

Al-Hamash highlighted the area’s agricultural weight, citing major summer crop production that supplies markets nationwide. He said Sheikh Saad produces watermelons, melons and cucumbers that are distributed across Iraq, including the Kurdistan Region, and that the area also yields around 54,000 tons of wheat annually during the winter season.

He pointed to a proposed border crossing with Iran and a large oil field that lies partly within Sheikh Saad and neighboring Ali al-Gharbi district in Maysan. “Two-thirds of the oil area lies within Sheikh Saad,” he said.

“If the crossing [with Iran] is opened and oil production begins, Sheikh Saad will have all the elements of economic success, agriculture, oil industry, and tourism,” Al-Hamash said.

He also underlined the subdistrict’s historical importance, saying more than 11 archaeological sites are registered with Iraq’s tourism and antiquities authority, with remnants from Sumerian, Chaldean and Sassanian civilizations.

Despite these assets, Al-Hamash said federal development has been lacking and called for more public services and support. He urged the government to increase assistance for local farmers and address water shortages that continue to affect production.

“We aim to raise Sheikh Saad’s economic level and boost purchasing power, and this will only happen through oil investment, the border crossing, and government backing,” he said.