The Basrah University Council organized a protest to demand the university's right to own the Naseem Al-Basrah yacht and not to transfer its ownership to the Ministry of Transport. At the same time, a meeting of the University Council was held on the yacht, followed by a tour in the Shatt al-Arab.
The President of Basrah University, Dr. Saad Shaheen Hammadi, stated that the yacht (Naseem Al-Basrah) is a scientific center for conducting research related to marine research and has been developed to contain scientific laboratories and also contains devices for analysis and electronic microscopes as well as other laboratory materials, and it is owned by the university since 2014 with dozens of researchers holding postgraduate degrees working in it.
Shaheen added, "We strongly reject the transfer of ownership of this scientific edifice to the Ministry of Transport as a navigation vessel for investment purposes."
It is worth mentioning that the Presidency of the Republic decided in 2014 to make the yacht (Naseem Al-Basrah) a scientific research vessel belonging to the Marine Sciences Center at the University of Basrah. The yacht contains 13 furnished rooms, a presidential suite, three meeting rooms, a helipad and fast lifeboats. It is 83 meters long and 13 meters wide and is equipped with engines capable of driving it at a speed of 18 knots per hour.
