Shafaq News – Basra

Iraq’s caretaker Prime Minister, Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, described on Thursday the Grand Faw Port and the Development Road project as “a dream for Iraq,” affirming the country’s openness to international partnerships in development, services, and manufacturing.

Speaking at the Iraqi-British Business Council conference in Basra, Al-Sudani said his government had pursued “a balanced policy” and used Iraq’s geographic position “to serve as a bridge between East and West, and as part of a broader vision for regional stability and development.”

He noted that Iraq now has, for the first time since the state was established, a direct maritime outlet on the Gulf through a new navigational channel measuring 20 meters deep and 23 kilometers long.

Earlier in the day, Al-Sudani inaugurated the first section of the road linking the Grand Faw Port to the city of Safwan on the border with Kuwait.

Farhan al-Fartousi, Director General of Iraq’s Ports Authority, told Shafaq News that the road is “a strategic and essential project for preparing the Grand Faw Port for operation,” adding that the opening also brings the first segment of the Development Road into active use.

He said the 63-kilometer route includes two major overpasses and passes through the submerged tunnel connecting both sides of the port area toward Umm Qasr Port, giving it significant logistical value for commercial transport.

In April 2024, Iraq, Turkiye, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar signed a quadrilateral agreement for the Development Road project.

The initiative, which includes a highway and an electric railway stretching 1,200 kilometers across Iraq, aims to strengthen economic links between Asia and Europe, expand international trade, and streamline cargo movement.

The project’s investment budget is estimated at about 17 billion dollars, including 6.5 billion for the highway and 10.5 billion for the electric railway. It is planned in three phases, scheduled for completion in 2028, 2033, and 2050.