Iraq is expected to launch a new international tender for the construction of additional berths at the Al-Faw Grand Port following the completion of key infrastructure works at the strategic project in southern Iraq.
According to industry reports, the Iraqi Ministry of Transport has invited leading international maritime infrastructure companies to participate in the next phase of the port’s development, which will focus on expanding its operational facilities and capacity.
The project has already achieved major milestones. Under a $2.5 billion contract, Daewoo Engineering & Construction (Daewoo E&C) completed the construction of the port’s first five main berths.
The first phase of the development also included a 62-kilometer highway linking Al-Faw Grand Port to the city of Umm Qasr, a submerged tunnel, a navigation canal, and a large container storage yard.
One of the project’s most significant engineering achievements is the submerged tunnel, which stretches 2,444 meters in total length, including 1,226 meters located underwater.
Situated on the Khor Abdallah waterway near the mouth of the Shatt al-Arab, the port’s five completed container berths are designed to accommodate some of the world’s largest container vessels, with each berth capable of serving ships carrying up to 23,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU).
Once fully completed, the port is expected to become one of the largest maritime hubs in the region. Current plans envision a total of 100 berths and an annual handling capacity of 7.5 million TEU by 2038.
The first phase alone is expected to handle up to four million TEU of cargo annually, providing a major boost to Iraq’s logistics and trade capabilities.
The port forms a central part of Iraq’s broader Development Road project, a proposed transport and logistics corridor linking the Gulf through Iraq to Turkey and onward to Europe. Estimated at around $7 billion, the initiative aims to transform Iraq into a key regional transit hub and provide an alternative trade route connecting Asia and Europe.
Officials view the Al-Faw Grand Port as one of Iraq’s most important strategic infrastructure projects, with the potential to diversify the economy, increase trade revenues, create jobs, and strengthen the country’s position in global supply chains.
