Complete with coffee shops, perfumeries and pizza parlours, the gleaming atrium of Basra's Times Square Mall are a glimpse of how a peaceful Iraq may one day look.
Inside its air-conditioned precincts, locals escape not just the port city's oppressive heat but many other drawbacks of modern Iraqi life.
Women wander round without headscarves, free from the gaze of disapproving militias, while the mall's cinema offers the latest Hollywood releases. Ten years ago, the only public entertainment permitted in Basra was stern religious plays.
Yet the mall, which opened two years ago, is also remarkable because it is the only one of its kind. Elsewhere, a city that should by now be an Iraqi Dubai is in much the same decrepit state as it was when British troops invaded in 2003.
Its famous canals are clogged with litter, electricity runs for just a few hours a day, and many poorer Basrans still live in crumbling Saddam-era public housing estates.
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Outside the mall, meanwhile, the smell on the air is not usually fresh pizza or coffee, but an equally fresh smell of sewage – the result of long-unsolved sanitation problems that also make Basra's salty tap water all but undrinkable.
Ahead of this Saturday's elections, Haider Al Abadi, the country's prime minister, has blamed all these problems on another, equally strong smell coming out of Basra – the stench of corruption, on a massive scale.
Mr Abadi, who is campaigning for a second term, has singled Basra out as the prime example of how reconstruction in Iraq is being hampered by "mafias" of corrupt officials, fuelling ever more anger against the government.
The city's governor, Majid al Nasrawi, fled to Iran nine months ago, having been placed under investigation for allegedly demanding a cut on public works tenders.
"Wherever we try to improve public services, there is a mafia who sabotage it," Mr Abadi said, declaring corruption to be as big a threat as the now-defeated Islamic State once was.
The graft issue runs nationwide in Iraq, which ranks 169 out of 180 countries in Transparency International's index of global corruption. According to Iraq's parliamentary integrity committee, up to $228 billion of public money has been embezzled since the fall of Saddam Hussein.
The problem is arguably most visible in Basra, which generates most of the Baghdad government's public revenues because its sits on Iraq's richest oil fields and has its only sea port. Yet Mr Abadi said that apart from the Times Square Mall, the only other big development the city had to show for its money was an opulent sports stadium.
"They build a sports stadium, but people have nothing to drink," he said. "This was just because it was visible for elections and to cover up their corruption."
Mr Nasrawi, who governed Basra from 2013, claims the allegations against him are a political smear campaign – which, in Iraq's murky political arena, is always possibility.
What is less in doubt, though, is that Basra is no longer the success story it was a few years ago. From 20010 to 2014, it enjoyed a construction boom, after Mr Abadi's predecessor, Nouri al-Maliki, sent in troops to clear out the Iran-backed militias that gained a stranglehold during the five years of British occupation.
But in 2014, what had then become one of Iraq's more peaceful cities took a turn for the worse again after the best local army units were sent to fight the ISIS takeover in the north. Tribal militias exploited the vacuum, demanding much bigger fees to "protect" the oil installations in their rural fiefdoms.
Meanwhile, jobless locals who answered the call of Shiite clerics to volunteer against ISIS are now back from the front, and are likewise starting to flex their muscles. With ever more armed players seeking payoffs, and public revenues hit by the collapse in oil prices, the city is stuck in a vicious circle.
If it is bad news for Basra, it is also depressing news for the city's former occupier, Britain, which lost 179 troops and spent $12 billion during its military deployment to southern Iraq.
London had hoped that one dividend of that blood and treasure would be an open door for British companies to take part in the reconstruction.
Yet aside from energy giants BP and Shell, both of whom were in Iraq before the war, few UK firms have won major contracts to rebuild Basra.
Two leading British firms, Biwater and Wood Group, are currently bidding for a major desalination project that will finally help bring clean drinking water to the city.
But most of the other big reconstruction projects in Basra are going to firms from elsewhere, with Russian, Chinese and Turkish firms all doing well.
One Iraqi engineer with experience of working with British companies in Basra said because of the UK's strict anti-bribery laws, they did not face a level playing field. "New British firms coming here find it very hard because they're always being asked for bribes, which isn't their culture," he said. "The Turkish companies get all the work because they don't mind paying up."
Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne, the British government's trade envoy to Iraq, told The National that things "were improving" for British firms in Basra but admitted that "smaller companies, if they don't know the territory very well, find it hard to start."
But she added: "That is more a concern about security than corruption, and any company that goes there with paying bribes in mind does not have the right attitude from the start."
The irony of British firms losing out to Russian, Chinese and French firms has not escaped some British businessmen. "The fact is that down in Basra, those countries are now reaping the fruits of a war that they originally opposed," said one. He added that he had seen Iraqi ministers openly demand bribes in meetings.
Alastair White, the deputy chairman of Biwater, the firm bidding for the desalination contract, said his company usually asked for a British diplomat to be present at business meetings in Iraq to deter bribery requests from "arising in the first place".
That, however, may not be possible for every British company. Six years ago, Britain shut down its Basra consulate because of the high security costs.
TV: World Cup Qualifier 2018 matches will be aired on on OSN Sports HD Cricket channel
What is Genes in Space?
Genes in Space is an annual competition first launched by the UAE Space Agency, The National and Boeing in 2015.
It challenges school pupils to design experiments to be conducted in space and it aims to encourage future talent for the UAE’s fledgling space industry. It is the first of its kind in the UAE and, as well as encouraging talent, it also aims to raise interest and awareness among the general population about space exploration.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Barcelona v Liverpool, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE).
Second leg
Liverpool v Barcelona, Tuesday, May 7, 11pm
Games on BeIN Sports
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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MATCH INFO
Europa League final
Who: Marseille v Atletico Madrid
Where: Parc OL, Lyon, France
When: Wednesday, 10.45pm kick off (UAE)
TV: BeIN Sports
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Power: 110 horsepower
Torque: 147Nm
Price: From Dh59,700
On sale: now
Nancy 9 (Hassa Beek)
Nancy Ajram
(In2Musica)
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
Plan to boost public schools
A major shake-up of government-run schools was rolled out across the country in 2017. Known as the Emirati School Model, it placed more emphasis on maths and science while also adding practical skills to the curriculum.
It was accompanied by the promise of a Dh5 billion investment, over six years, to pay for state-of-the-art infrastructure improvements.
Aspects of the school model will be extended to international private schools, the education minister has previously suggested.
Recent developments have also included the introduction of moral education - which public and private schools both must teach - along with reform of the exams system and tougher teacher licensing requirements.
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
SPECS
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Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Types of policy
Term life insurance: this is the cheapest and most-popular form of life cover. You pay a regular monthly premium for a pre-agreed period, typically anything between five and 25 years, or possibly longer. If you die within that time, the policy will pay a cash lump sum, which is typically tax-free even outside the UAE. If you die after the policy ends, you do not get anything in return. There is no cash-in value at any time. Once you stop paying premiums, cover stops.
Whole-of-life insurance: as its name suggests, this type of life cover is designed to run for the rest of your life. You pay regular monthly premiums and in return, get a guaranteed cash lump sum whenever you die. As a result, premiums are typically much higher than one term life insurance, although they do not usually increase with age. In some cases, you have to keep up premiums for as long as you live, although there may be a cut-off period, say, at age 80 but it can go as high as 95. There are penalties if you don’t last the course and you may get a lot less than you paid in.
Critical illness cover: this pays a cash lump sum if you suffer from a serious illness such as cancer, heart disease or stroke. Some policies cover as many as 50 different illnesses, although cancer triggers by far the most claims. The payout is designed to cover major financial responsibilities such as a mortgage or children’s education fees if you fall ill and are unable to work. It is cost effective to combine it with life insurance, with the policy paying out once if you either die or suffer a serious illness.
Income protection: this pays a replacement income if you fall ill and are unable to continue working. On the best policies, this will continue either until you recover, or reach retirement age. Unlike critical illness cover, policies will typically pay out for stress and musculoskeletal problems such as back trouble.
The specs: 2019 BMW i8 Roadster
Price, base: Dh708,750
Engine: 1.5L three-cylinder petrol, plus 11.6 kWh lithium-ion battery
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power: 374hp (total)
Torque: 570Nm (total)
Fuel economy, combined: 2.0L / 100km
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre 6-cyl turbo
Power: 435hp at 5,900rpm
Torque: 520Nm at 1,800-5,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Price: from Dh498,542
On sale: now
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
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