When completed, the $17 billion project, dubbed the “Development Road,” will run the length of the country for more than 1,200km from the northern border with Türkiye to the Gulf in the south.
Iraq announced on May 27 an ambitious plan to turn the country into a regional transport hub by developing rail and road infrastructure connecting Europe with the Gulf and other countries in the Middle East.
When completed, the $17 billion project, dubbed the “Development Road,” will run the length of the country for more than 1,200km from the northern border with Türkiye to the Gulf in the south.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani announced the project at a conference with representatives of the Transport Ministries of Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
“We see this project as a pillar of a sustainable economy that is not based on oil, a link between Iraq’s neighbors and the region, and a contribution to economic integration efforts,” al-Sudani said.
The Iraqi Parliament 's Transport Committee said any country that wishes “will be able to participate in the project,” adding that the project would be completed “in the next three to five years.”
After years of war, oil-rich Iraq has seen its infrastructure crumble. Roads are in a dire state and those connecting the capital Baghdad to the north run through areas where remnants of the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS) group are regularly carrying out attacks.
Prime Minister al-Sudani affirmed that priority will be given to rebuilding the country's railway network and upgrading its electricity infrastructure.
Developing the rail and road corridor will allow Iraq to enhance its geographical position to turn the country into a hub for goods and people moving between the Gulf, Türkiye and Europe.
The country has now begun efforts to increase the capacity of its Al-Faw commercial port on the Gulf coast, where container ships unload their cargo before being loaded onto rail and road routes.
The project also includes the construction of about 15 stations along the route, including the main cities of Basra, Baghdad and Mosul, and all the way to the border with Turkey./.
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