With Scrap Metal and a Dream, a Mosul Man Builds His Own Amphibious Vehicle
Mosul inventor Haitham Mohammed built a functional amphibious vehicle using scrap metal, fiberglass, and salvaged parts. The self-taught craftsman, whose family has long worked on Mosul Dam Lake, created the craft without specialized workshop help.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – On the glistening shores of Mosul Dam Lake, where the horizon meets the water, young inventor Haitham Mohammed spent his childhood and youth surrounded by boats, engines, and the rhythmic hum of waves. From the age of six, he worked renting boats and jet skis, until water became not just his livelihood — but part of his very identity.
Over the years, Haitham’s fascination with water grew into an ambitious idea — to build a vehicle that could move across the surface of the water.
“I used to build boats every summer,” Haitham told Kurdistan24, “but during the winter, work would slow down. Then one day in Dubai, I saw amphibious vehicles gliding across the water, and I said to myself: I’ll build one of these with my own hands when I return to Mosul.”
True to his word, he returned home and began the project from scratch. Using scrap metal, wood, and salvaged mechanical parts, Haitham handcrafted the frame and coated it with layers of fiberglass, shaping every curve himself.
Piece by piece, he assembled the mechanical heart of the craft —
a turbine-powered engine, a drive shaft (koblen), a rudder, and a balancing system to ensure smooth navigation.
“This vehicle,” he said proudly, “was built entirely by hand, without help from specialized workshops. It’s the result of years of working on water and with engines — and now, it’s complete and fully functional.”
For Haitham, this creation is more than an engineering feat — it’s a continuation of a family legacy deeply rooted in the waters of northern Iraq.
“We are the sons of water,” he said with a smile. “My father and grandfather both worked here since the dam was built. I grew up between rivers and the lake — I can’t imagine life away from it. Now I’m teaching my son this craft, just as my father taught me.”
Today, Haitham’s handmade water vehicle glides gracefully across Mosul Dam Lake, a familiar sight for locals and visitors alike. Behind the wheel, he finds peace and purpose.
“This is my world,” he said softly. “Here, I feel calm and alive. The water is my home — every time I’m away from it, I feel like a stranger.”
Haitham’s journey is not only the story of an invention, but also a testament to resilience, creativity, and belonging — a young man’s determination to turn imagination into reality, against the odds and with the simplest of tools.
In the quiet ripples of Mosul’s lake, his creation now floats — a symbol of ingenuity born from heritage, perseverance, and love for one’s homeland.
