Iraq Development Road

The Iraq Development Road (Arabic: طريق التنمية, romanized: Ṭarīq al-tanmiyah) is an ongoing infrastructure project aiming to connect Asia with Europe by establishing a network of railways, roads, ports, and cities. It will link the Grand Faw Port in southern Iraq to Turkey's border and further extend into Europe.^[1][2]

Overview

Nicknamed the Dry Canal (Arabic: القناة الجافة, romanized: al-Qanāh al-jāffah), the project is expected to turn the country into a transit center by shortening travel time between Asia and Europe, in an attempt to compete with Egypt's Suez Canal. It is also expected to strengthen Iraq's geopolitical position in the region and the world. In addition, it will increase security and stability in the region.^[3][4] Observers and decision-makers note that the project is planned to be completed in three stages by 2028, 2033 and 2050 and will open Iraq to the world through Turkey, and will generate $4 billion annually and create at least 100,000 jobs.^[5][6][7]

History

In March 2023, Iraq joined the TIR convention backed by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, a significant landmark in facilitating the logistics of the Development Road.^[8]

In May 2023, Baghdad hosted a summit which brought together transport ministers and officials from the European Union, the World Bank, GCC, Iran, Turkey, Syria and Jordan to discuss the establishment of the Development Road initiative. During the summit, Iraqi officials noted that "Iraq has recovered and retrieved its pivotal political role in the region, becoming a political convergence point, the time has come for the country to retrieve its economic role".^[9]

In April 2024, and during a visit to Baghdad by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, quadrilateral memorandum of understanding regarding cooperation in Development Road project signed between Iraq, Turkey, Qatar, UAE. The deal was signed by the transportation ministers from each country. The 1,200-kilometer project with railway and highways which will connect the Great Faw Port, aimed to be the largest port in the Middle East. It is planned to be completed by 2025 to the Turkish border at an expected cost of $17 billion.^[10][11]

In July 2024, the Iraqi Ministry of Transport announced that it had signed a contract with consulting firm Oliver Wyman to conduct the economic model for the Development Road. The firm will help market the project, supervise investments, and provide economic advisory services for strategic government projects.^[12]

On 24 March 2025, the International Road Transport Union (IRU) announced that the TIR system was set to go fully operational in Iraq starting from 1 April 2025. The announcement came after successful pilot operations from Turkey’s Mersin to Iraq’s Umm Qasr Port. Notably, the pilot operations demonstrated that the aforementioned journey can be completed in less than one week, as opposed to a minimum of 14 days via the Red Sea or even up to 26 days via a reroute around the African continent. TIR’s Electronic Pre-Declaration (TIR-EPD) system will be integrated with Iraq’s URUK platform. IRU Secretary General Umberto de Pretto said, “Trucks will seamlessly transit the country and proceed along corridors offering a high level of security, opening a new chapter for the country and its role in international trade", adding, “With transport times and costs set to be slashed across the country and region, this will be a historic moment for global trade and broader economic integration in the Middle East.”^[13] UNECE Executive Secretary Tatiana Molcean noted, “The activation of the TIR system in Iraq will open up routes across the Middle East and make almost the entire Eurasian landmass – from China through Central Asia to Europe – TIR operational,” emphasising, “Most importantly, by ensuring greater connectivity between regional and international markets, it will help to boost trade and development.”^[14]

See also

• Grand Faw Port
• Berlin–Baghdad railway
• India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor