China-headquartered contractor East China Engineering Science and Technology Company (ECEC) has begun construction of a $2 billion phosphate fertiliser complex in Al-Qaim, Anbar province, marking a major step in Iraq’s efforts to revitalise its industrial and mining sectors.
The project will tap into Anbar’s vast phosphate reserves, which Iraqi authorities estimate at more than 10 billion tonnes, positioning the western desert region as a strategic hub for fertiliser production.
According to Doha Jabbouri, spokesperson for Iraq’s Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources, construction activities are now underway following the official foundation stone-laying ceremony held in May 2025, led by Industry and Minerals Minister Khaled Al-Najm.
Once operational, the complex is expected to produce 1 million tonnes per year of Diammonium Phosphate (DAP) and 500,000 tonnes per year of Triple Super Phosphate (TSP), significantly boosting domestic fertiliser supply and reducing Iraq’s reliance on imports.
The ECEC-led development forms part of a broader push by the Iraqi government to expand downstream mineral processing and attract international partners. In May 2024, the ministry signed multiple agreements with Iraqi, Emirati and American companies to develop new sulphur and fertiliser facilities across the country.
As part of these efforts, UAE-based ARJ Holding agreed to establish a 249,000-tonne-per-year phosphate fertiliser plant in Baiji, Salah Al-Din governorate. Meanwhile, the state-owned Mishraq Sulphur State Company (MSSC) signed a deal with an unnamed American firm to develop a 2.5 million-tonne-per-year sulphur plant in the Al-Zaka field in Nineveh.
MSSC has also partnered with Iraqi Al-Rafidain Company to rehabilitate a 1.5 million-tonne-per-year sulphur production line at the Al-Mishraq field near Mosul, further strengthening Iraq’s sulphur and fertiliser value chain.
Together, these projects underline Iraq’s strategy to unlock its mineral wealth, create industrial jobs, and rebuild critical production capacity through large-scale foreign and regional investment.