Abdallah Al-Dardari, United Nations Assistant Secretary-General and Regional Director of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for Arab States, announced that the UNDP will strengthen its engagement in Iraq by the end of this year, accompanied by teams of international experts.

Al-Dardari emphasized the UNDP’s longstanding partnership with Iraq, noting that the organization has supported the country through various stages of its development and challenges. “We will remain in Iraq as long as Iraq desires our presence,” he said.

He explained that the upcoming phase follows consultations with Iraqi leadership regarding the country’s priorities and development vision. The initiative aims to transfer successful international experiences and expertise to support Iraq’s ongoing development efforts.

According to Al-Dardari, the Iraqi government remains responsible for setting national priorities, while the UNDP’s role is focused on supporting institutional development, strengthening national capacities, combating corruption, and advancing economic and social development.

He added that, between now and the end of the year, UNDP teams will conduct comprehensive studies and develop proposals for the Iraqi government across a range of sectors to help address key development challenges and opportunities.

Al-Dardari also highlighted Iraq’s strategic importance to the regional economy, describing the country as a key driver of growth in the Middle East. He noted that if Iraq achieves an annual economic growth rate of 6 percent, neighboring countries could benefit significantly, with their growth rates potentially increasing by approximately 2 percent as a result of stronger regional economic integration and activity.