New Hajj route inaugurated

KARBALA, January 22 – Bangen Rekani, Iraq’s minister of construction and housing, inaugurated the rehabilitation and maintenance project for the Karbala-Razaza-Overland Hajj route on Monday. Naseef al-Khattabi, governor of Karbala, and Sami al-Masoudi, head of the Hajj and Umrah Authority, attended the event.

A statement from the ministry, reported by 964 network, stated, “The minister of construction, housing and public municipalities, Bangeen Rekani, inaugurated the maintenance and rehabilitation project for the route in the holy governorate of Karbala, in the presence of Governor Naseef al-Khattabi and the head of the Hajj and Umrah Authority, Sheikh Sami al-Masoudi.”

During the inauguration, the minister said, “The road, which is 90 kilometers long, is the only route for the caravan of pilgrims to the house of God on foot. It provides an affordable and less costly means of transport for citizens, both pilgrims and Umrah goers.”

Rekani added, “The road will also help stimulate economic activity and goods transportation between Iraq and Saudi Arabia, as well as connect the holy governorate of Karbala with the governorate of Anbar, and serve the construction quarries distributed on either side.”

The project, supervised by the Department of Roads and Bridges and implemented by the Ashur General Contracting Company, both affiliated with the ministry, has now been completed.

Iraq and Saudi Arabia collaborate to restore ancient Hajj route

Iraq's ministry of construction and housing achieves significant progress on the Al-Hajj road project