English Village, Erbil
English Village is a British-built luxury housing compound located in western Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq. The compound contains identical villas, the vast majority of which are used as offices for companies. English Village is among several modern compounds in Erbil named after Western countries, such as American Village, Italian Village and German Village. It represents an economic boom that occurred in Erbil at the turn of the 2010s.
History
The compound was originally conceived by Rezgar Ghafor, a British-Iraqi entrepreneur and NGO worker, with the goal of providing affordable housing for the people of Erbil. In his vision, the project aimed to meet the growing demand for quality living spaces while keeping them accessible. To make this idea a reality, Rezgar Ghafor brought together a consortium known as the Hawler Housing Project. This consortium included the British property development company J.M. Jones & Sons, a local construction business, and a representative from the local government.The project was supported by a 2004 initiative from the UK Foreign Office’s Trade and Industry Department, which helped facilitate the collaboration. Construction and sales began in early 2006, with the total development cost reaching US$76,000,000
In July 2019, an illicit gambling scheme operating out of a casino in English Village was shut down by the Kurdish security forces.
Characteristics
English Village contains 420 villas, covering a total of. Each villa has of floor space on two floors and contains five bedrooms, full air conditioning, fitted kitchens and two bathrooms with combined Eastern and Western toilets. The villas are reported to have a reliable electricity supply and sanitation system, in contrast to other areas of Erbil and Iraq. The compound also contains a school and five-storey shopping centre.In 2006, the purchase cost of each villa was, while in 2008 it was, and in 2011 it was. In 2011, the rent cost was around per month.