Iraq, UAE discuss steps to carry out Development Road project
An aerial view of the Al-Faw Grand Port in southern Iraq, with the first phase of the project currently underway. Photo: Daewoo E&C
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The Iraqi Ministry of Transport announced on Wednesday that a meeting was held with officials from the UAE to discuss steps to carry out the strategic project of the Development Road, according to the Iraqi News Agency (INA).
The Iraqi ministry mentioned in a statement that the Minister of Transport, Razzaq Muhaibis Al-Saadawi, chaired a meeting that included delegations from Abu Dhabi Ports Group and Etihad Rail, as well as Iraqi officials and experts.
The meeting aimed to review the work plan, cooperation and investments in the giant Iraqi transport project, according to the statement.
During the meeting, representatives of the Italian consulting company, Progetti Europa & Global (PEG), made a detailed presentation on the projects of the Development Road and the Al-Faw Grand Port, the statement clarified.
Representatives of Abu Dhabi Ports Group gave a presentation on the UAE’s ports and the company’s working mechanisms, the statement added.
The meeting also addressed the economic feasibility of the Al-Faw Grand Port and the Development Road, in addition to possible openness to the economies of other countries.
The Development Road is the name given by the Iraqi government to what was known as the dry canal that connects the Al-Faw Grand Port in southern Iraq with the Turkish territories through railway networks and roads.
The Development Road includes a railway where electric trains will pass through 10 Iraqi governorates.
The Iraqi Prime Minister, Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, illustrated earlier that the project includes a railway to transport goods, with a capacity of 3.5 million tons in its first phase that will be increased to 7.5 million tons in the second phase.
Al-Sudani elaborated that the project will also include a highway for land transport and pipelines to transport energy, in addition to the Al-Faw Grand Port and the industrial city, which is expected to be one of the largest cities in the Middle East.