Following the recent visit of the Prime Minister to Basra, the Iraqi Cabinet has decided to authorise the Basra Governor to negotiate and sign the framework agreement with the coalition of companies executing the desalination project in the province.

According to a statement from the Media Office of the Prime Minister, this will enable the coalition to complete plans, designs, and initial surveys for the project, without imposing financial obligations on the province.

The results of the negotiation will then be presented to Cabinet for appropriate decision-making.

The Cabinet also agreed to transfer the contractual obligations for the consulting works from the Ministry of Construction and Housing to Basra Province, enabling the consulting company, ILF Consulting Engineers, "to complete its contractual duties regarding the project".

During his visit to Basra at the weekend, Prime Minister Al-Sudani chaired a special meeting regarding the seawater desalination project. The meeting was attended by the coalition of Al-Rida Group and Power Construction Corporation of China (PowerChina), described as "the executing companies of the project", as well as Basra Governor and advisors to the Prime Minister.

During the meeting, the coalition presented its plan for this significant project, which has been endorsed by the government since its inception.

The Prime Minister reviewed the final stages of negotiation and the committee's progress under the leadership of the Basra Governor with the executing coalition, emphasizing the need to expedite the project completion.

He directed to finalize the matter and submit the meeting minutes to the government for appropriate decision-making, ensuring the removal of obstacles and accelerating project completion.

The government says that this will be the largest seawater desalination project in the world, with a capacity of one million cubic meters per day, sufficient to meet the needs of 3-4 million people in Basra.

The project also includes the establishment of a power generation station as part of the project to ensure its independence from external energy sources.