“The prime minister’s visit focused on checking service projects in Basra province, first and foremost the water, sewage, gas, and electricity station projects in the al-Zubeir field,” read a statement from his office.
He examined the progress of a number of projects that are in process, including a hospital, a water desalination plant, and facilities at the Zubeir oil and gas field.
Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi toured pictured at the Turkish hospital under construction in Basra on January 20, 2019. Photo: PM office
The Basra hospital he visited is one of multiple 400-bed facilities being built by a joint Turkish-German venture across southern Iraq.
He urged prompt completion of the hospital and the road infrastructure around it.
Abdul-Mahdi also met with locals, according to his office.
“The goal of the visit is to find solutions and decrease the suffering of the people of Basra with the cooperation of everyone,” his office stated.
Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi toured the Zubeir gas field in Basra on January 20, 2019. Photo: PM office
Basra is home to Iraq’s largest oil fields and the country’s only sea port. It is one of the richest areas in the Middle East in terms of resources, but one of the poorest in terms of services and income due to chronic corruption.
Last summer, fed up with the lack of electricity and clean drinking water, the people of Basra took to the streets to demand change. Their protests put an end to the ambitions of former PM Haider al-Abadi who was looking to secure a second term in office.
Baghdad took measures to rekindle stalled infrastructure projects, boosting employment, and sending more cash to the province.
Some in Basra want to emulate the Kurdistan Region and gain some autonomy and control over their own affairs, resources, and finances.
The coming summer will be a test for Abdul-Mahdi. He has been given a timeline to address major issues and, when temperatures soar in Basra, he’ll have to show his administration can provide water and electricity. Failure could mean withdrawal of confidence from the two biggest blocs in parliament, especially that of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.
