Iraq is planning to build three industrial zones in the central Najaf Governorate as part of a post-war drive to attract investment and reduce reliance on the oil sector, the official Alsabah newspaper said on Friday. 

Each zone will comprise  at least 20 factories for the production of building materials and other products and will be part of an “investment map” in the Governorate, the paper said, quoting Dirgham Keku, Chairman of Najaf Investment Commission. 

Keku said the “investment map” focuses on farming and industrial projects with the aim of boosting sources of income and creating thousands of jobs. 

“We have already indentified 18 new industrial projects, including three industrial zones…the remaining projects comprise a cement plant and petroleum products,” he said, adding that the Commission would soon announce details of the investment map.