Habbaniya New City

Habbaniya New City is a post-war development project situated along the shores of Lake Habbaniya, creating an urban oasis in the Anbar Province in Western Iraq.¹ Historically, Habbaniya was a resting place for merchants and a sought-after vacation destination for tourists² due to its natural characteristics. Envisioned as “Open Horizon, the Lake City,” the development is designed to accommodate more than 600,000 residents³ and aims to reinvigorate the economy in Iraq’s westernmost province post-war⁴ by attracting investments⁵ and turning Habbaniya into a global tourist destination. This, in turn, seeks to boost the tourism sector and create job opportunities.⁶

To implement the above mentioned vision and objectives, a master plan was proposed that extends over 29,438 square kilometers at Habbaniya.⁷ The master plan encompasses mixed land uses, including residential areas, a waterfront area, an international industrial park, a commercial and business district, and a sports complex.⁸ It also features medical institutions, education and research centers and convention centers.⁹ In terms of transportation, a railway will be implemented to link Anbar City with the Capital City of Baghdad, facilitating travel between the two cities.¹⁰ Specifically, the project has the following main components:

• Residential areas with 100,000 housing units featuring diverse typologies and architectural styles, including detached houses, row houses, apartments, and luxurious waterfront villas. This variety of residential units aims to accommodate diverse social classes and various living styles by offering both traditional and modern building typologies.¹¹
• A wide range of public spaces and touristic facilities include water parks, resorts, convention centers, and exhibition halls.¹² These activities are planned to be located along the lakeside of Habbaniya, transforming the waterfront into a tourist destination.¹³
• Habbaniya International Industrial Park (HIIP), branded as “Multi-industrial Base, The Economic Engine,” is an industrial complex located in the southeastern area of Habbaniya New City. It aims to be Iraq’s primary production and manufacturing hub and a high-tech industry incubator by attracting global and local companies. HIIP contains three manufacturing zones, a high-tech zone, an R&D zone, a logistics zone, and an administrative zone. The park offers value-added logistics capabilities, leveraging nearby railways and an airport.¹⁴

The project implementation spans 11 years across 3 key phases:^{15 16}

• The initial phase, lasting 5 years, involves completing essential infrastructure, including water systems, electricity networks, roads, health centers, and schools. This phase also includes connecting the city to a highway linking Baghdad to western Iraq along the international route.¹⁷ It encompasses the construction of 14,000 housing units, including affordable housing options,¹⁸ along with an industrial complex that creates employment opportunities for thousands of skilled workers.¹⁹
• The subsequent phases of the project involve developing residential complexes comprising 10,000 apartments and villas and building a hospital with a 300-bed capacity.²⁰

The project is initiated by the National Investment Commission (NIC), Anbar Governorate,²¹ and
Anbar Investment Commission (AIC). The master plan was designed and is under implementation by the South Korean real estate development company Trac Development (TRAC).²² The project’s overall cost is $35,064 million,²³ funded by several international investment companies.²⁴