UAE developer Bloom Properties is set to start infrastructure work on the large-scale Model Village and Shores of Karbala project in Iraq, which on completion, is expected to house 200,000 to 250,000 people.

The announcement comes following the submission of final master plan of the Shores of Karbala project to the Iraqi National Investment Commission.

The project will span an area of 20 sq km along the banks of Lake Razaza, west of the Iraqi city of Karbala. The mixed-use development will take shape as an integrated city offering contemporary civic amenities and facilities, said the company in its statement.

When ready, the project is expected to provide 40,000 housing units across four districts.

It will consist of residential units of all types including villas, town houses, apartments, hotels, shopping malls, open markets, business centres, clinics, schools, mosques, public parks, children playgrounds, government, social and sports facilities, restaurants, cafes and auditoriums, it stated.

According to Bloom, the project will be developed in a phased manner over a period of eight years as per the contractual agreement.

'Shores of Karbala' project will accelerate the development of Karbala city into a thriving urban destination, leading to a more even distribution of population and urban settlements within the city.

Set to host a network of modern urban centres, the development will be complemented by a series of green ecosystems aligned to the company’s strategy to enrich landscaping areas across all plots of the development.

Bloom has to its credit today an established portfolio of completed projects in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Dubai spanning education, hospitality, leisure and retail.-TradeArabia News Service