The governor of the Iraq's Basra province has said major oil companies must set up water desalination plants for residents if they want to continue operating there.
The oil-rich province last week saw a surge in illnesses blamed on a lack of safe drinking water, which residents and local politicians say is part of a breakdown in public services caused by corruption and years of neglect by the government in Baghdad.
"The federal government must address this issue, otherwise we will take all necessary measures to protect our people in Basra," Governor Assad Al Edani told the Al Hurra TV channel at the weekend.
"Every major oil company that is working in the province has to set up a desalination and sterilisation treatment plant if it wishes to continue working," Mr Al Edani said.
He said an agreement had been reached with the director of Basra Oil Company, Ihsan Abdul Jabbar, to ensure that oil companies abide by the condition.
The state-run company, which oversees the development of Iraq's southern oilfields, last week signed an agreement with Chevron to start oilfield development, and earlier this month awarded a $370 million (Dh1.35 billion) engineering, procurement and construction contract to Petrofac, listed in London, to expand crude processing facilities associated with the Majnoon field.
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Mr Al Edani said hospitals in Basra had seen more than 1,500 cases of water-related diseases in the past week, a number he described as “very high and dangerous".
Along with a lack of safe water, Basra and the surrounding region suffers from chronic power cuts, a stagnant economy, widespread corruption, chronic unemployment and an agriculture sector devastated by drought.
Mr Al Edani said Basra was not receiving its fair share of state funding to address its problems, even though even its port accounts for more than 90 per cent of Iraq's oil export revenues.
"Since I assumed office last year, Basra hasn’t received any money from the central government,” he said.
After weeks of demonstrations over poor services, in which several people were killed, Prime Minister Haider Al Abadi's caretaker government said in July that it would release funds to improve water supply, electricity and health services. Residents say they have seen no improvements yet.
Minister of Water Hasan Al Janabi promised at the weekend to "address the problem of drinking water and the increase of salinity in the Shatt Al Arab", the river that is the main source of fresh water in the province.
The ministry will hold a workshop on September 5 in cooperation with the University of Basra to study the water crisis, he said.
Iraqi Vice President Ayyad Allawi, a former prime minister, said the crisis highlighted serious mismanagement and corruption.
"A comprehensive rescue plan, accountability and proper planning could proffer a solution," Mr Allawi said on Twitter.
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Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shantanu Maheshwari, Jimmy Shergill, Saiee Manjrekar
Director: Neeraj Pandey
Rating: 2.5/5
Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
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Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
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Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
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Pieces of Her
Stars: Toni Collette, Bella Heathcote, David Wenham, Omari Hardwick
Director: Minkie Spiro
Rating:2/5
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Company Profile
Company name: OneOrder
Started: October 2021
Founders: Tamer Amer and Karim Maurice
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Industry: technology, logistics
Investors: A15 and self-funded
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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THE LOWDOWN
Photograph
Rating: 4/5
Produced by: Poetic License Motion Pictures; RSVP Movies
Director: Ritesh Batra
Cast: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Sanya Malhotra, Farrukh Jaffar, Deepak Chauhan, Vijay Raaz
'My Son'
Director: Christian Carion
Starring: James McAvoy, Claire Foy, Tom Cullen, Gary Lewis
Rating: 2/5
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
Five expert hiking tips
- Always check the weather forecast before setting off
- Make sure you have plenty of water
- Set off early to avoid sudden weather changes in the afternoon
- Wear appropriate clothing and footwear
- Take your litter home with you
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About Krews
Founder: Ahmed Al Qubaisi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Founded: January 2019
Number of employees: 10
Sector: Technology/Social media
Funding to date: Estimated $300,000 from Hub71 in-kind support
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
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Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
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In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
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Director: Todd Phillips
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