Baghdad — Minister of Transport Razzaq Muhaibis Al-Saadawi inaugurated the Transport, Aviation and Logistics Services Exhibition (ITL EXPO 2025) on Wednesday, with participation from senior officials and representatives of local and international companies in the transport, infrastructure, and logistics sectors.
In his opening speech, Al-Saadawi emphasized that investment in transport generates high economic returns by reducing costs, enhancing trade competitiveness, and improving supply chain efficiency. He described transport as “the foundation of any sustainable economic renaissance.”
The Minister noted that ITL EXPO 2025 serves as a vital platform to strengthen public-private cooperation, encourage knowledge exchange, and attract strategic investment. “Nations that mastered transport systems were able to define their economic and political strength,” he said.
Highlighting recent achievements, Al-Saadawi pointed to the completion of Mosul International Airport, near completion of Nasiriyah International Airport, and the modernization of the Iraqi Airways fleet with 13 new Boeing 737 MAX and Dreamliner aircraft. He also confirmed that 78% of the IOSA corrective program has been completed, paving the way to lift the European ban on Iraqi Airways.
Al-Saadawi described Iraq’s accession to the international TIR transit system as a key milestone toward implementing the Development Road project, a strategic initiative connecting Iraq to global trade networks through an integrated system of highways, railways, and industrial zones.
He underlined that the Development Road is not merely a transport corridor but a comprehensive economic project encompassing modern ports, industrial cities, and investments across eight sectors: agriculture, industry, trade, tourism, energy, transport, communications, and logistics. The initiative, he said, will create hundreds of thousands of jobs and boost non-oil revenues.
The Minister also revealed ongoing work to modernize Iraq’s railway network, especially along the Baghdad–Baiji–Mosul corridor, aligning infrastructure development with sustainability and environmental goals.
During a panel discussion, Al-Saadawi noted that workshops and seminars held with Iraqi and international experts would help accelerate digital transformation in the transport sector and enhance national projects.
He concluded by calling for unity of vision and a collective national effort to make transport a “driver of progress, not just a means of passage,” adding: “Iraq today is not waiting for the future — it is creating it.”
Al-Saadawi later toured the exhibition halls, meeting public and private sector participants, and praised the event’s organization and partnerships that aim to position Iraq as a leading logistics hub in the region.
