Shafaq News/ On Wednesday, SGI Studio Galli Ingegneria company, tasked with the long-stalled project for the expansion of Mosul, commenced geographic surveying in the city.

Abdul Wahab Sultan, Deputy Governor of Nineveh for Construction Affairs, told Shafaq News that "SGI, the Italian firm assigned to update the master plan for the expansion, has started its field geographic survey in the city, which represents the initial step towards executing the project to expand Mosul's master plan."

Sultan emphasized that "the Nineveh administration is dedicated to the development of Mosul and improving its conditions, which can only be achieved through the expansion of the city's master plan."

In March, the Nineveh governor announced the signing of a contract for updating and expanding Mosul's master plan, marking the first update since the city was last expanded in 2000.

The expansion will extend Mosul by 7 kilometers in all directions and is expected to provide 160,000 dunams of land for major projects and infrastructure that will benefit the city and all Nineveh's components.

The project has faced opposition in recent years from some components, mainly the Shabak and Yazidis in the Nineveh Plain, who have rejected the expansion towards eastern Mosul due to concerns about demographic changes.