Why Baghdad may have the worst traffic in the Middle East
As the shooting subsides, Iraqis are killing time in traffic
Bombs, terrorism and civil war used to keep Iraqis indoors. Now it is the gridlocked traffic. Commuters waste hours a day stuck in exhaust fumes. Meetings are delayed for hours. In a data-poor region, few statistics are available. But some travellers reckon Baghdad is now the most congested city in the Middle East, a region where the streets of many a capital are routinely clogged. “Let’s meet on Zoom,” suggests one businesswoman, wearily.
This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “Going nowhere”
Middle East & Africa March 4th 2023
From the March 4th 2023 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the editionMore from Middle East & Africa
America concludes genocide has been committed in Sudan—again
The move highlights the magnitude of Sudan’s civil war but does little to end it
Lebanon tries yet again to elect a new president
But it will not be easy to convince its corrupt politicians to reform
The West is making a muddle of its Syria sanctions
Outsiders should be much clearer about how and when they will be lifted
Alawites formed Syria’s elite. Now they are terrified
Fear of reprisal stalks the heartlands of the Assad regime
From inside an obliterated Gaza, gunfire not a ceasefire
In north Gaza the IDF is now facing “a bitter guerrilla war”
Mozambique’s opposition leader flies home into chaos
Will Venâncio Mondlane’s arrival on January 9th deepen or ease political crisis?