BAGHDAD — The Iraqi Council of Ministers headed by Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi announced last week the start of work to build a new administrative city on the outskirts of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, which is to stretch over an area of ​​165 square miles. Planners hope that the city, which is to bear the name Al-Rafeel, will grease the wheels of the capital’s economy and help resolve the area's housing crisis.

Baghdad, whose population is estimated at more than 7.3 million, is overcrowded. It has grown by more than 2 million since the turn of the century in part because it is home to various government departments and agencies that offer plenty of job opportunities compared with the rest of the central and southern provinces.

Baghdad has been quite difficult to reconfigure due to overpopulation and old structures. This is a major reason why the government decided to establish a new city that would become the administrative capital of Iraq.

The National Investment Commission said, “Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi agreed to allocate the area surrounding the Baghdad International Airport to establish the country’s administrative capital.”