Last month, an Iraqi delegation headed by the minister of communications, Torhan al-Mufti, held meetings in Paris with a European company specializing in manufacturing satellites to discuss building an Iraqi satellite. The delegation visited the premises of European company Astrium, which informed Iraq that it was ready to design and manufacture the Iraqi satellite and provide all additional services, including outfitting the satellite with a control and communication station.
Ministry of Communications adviser Karim Mazaal Shabi said to Al-Monitor that “launching an Iraqi satellite is a key project that interests the country, especially after opening again to the [rest of] Arab world.” The Ministry of Communications mentioned that Shabi delivered a speech during the technical demonstration held by Arabsat — a company affiliated with the Arab League — in cooperation with the Ministry of Communications about the manufacturing process, the launching and the maintenance of the satellite.
Arabsat was founded in 1976, since which time it has launched 51 satellites.
Iraq has been facing sandstorms for years in any given month due to the increasing area of land suffering from desertification. The country has struggled during the past three years with shortages in irrigation water supply from the Tigris and Euphrates rivers that flow from Turkey.
Statistics from the Ministry of Agriculture show that desertification has affected 80% of arable land due to water scarcity and climate change.
In 2009, Iraq created a special committee for desertification that comprises the Ministries of Agriculture, Water Resources, Higher Education and Scientific Research, Sciences and Technology, in addition to a committee of advisers affiliated with the premiership of the government. The committee works on three levels. The scientific research body follows up with the satellite project, the executive body is dedicated to carrying out, coordinating and observing projects and the follow-up body assesses the results, as well as scientific and executive activities.
Omar al-Shaher is a contributor to Al-Monitor’s Iraq Pulse. His writing has appeared in a wide range of publications including France’s LeMonde, the Iraqi Alesbuyia magazine, Egypt’s Al-Ahaly and the Elaph website. He previously worked for Al-Mada covering political and security affairs and as a correspondent for the Kuwaiti Awan newspaper in Baghdad in 2008-10.
(Picture: River Tigris, near Mosul)
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