The Iraqi government is looking to court proposals from foreign companies for the management and operation of the Grand Faw Port, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al Sudani said during a visit to the port, according to a statement. The country’s Transport Ministry will soon be looking to attract proposals from neighboring countries and countries “friendly” with Iraq, the statement said, without disclosing the names of specific countries or firms.
The country has also already set aside the investments needed to complete the construction of the port in its draft FY 2023-2024 budget, al Sudani said.
About the port: The long-delayed Grand Faw Port, set to be the largest in the Middle East, is one of several projects the country is working on in hopes of creating a shorter corridor between the Middle East and Europe that bypasses the Suez Canal, Reuters reported in 2020. The port will have the capacity to handle 99 mn tons a year, with a 39 km container quay, two km of berths, a container warehouse, and hinterland covering more than 1 mn square meters. South Korean firm Daewoo is working on the construction of the port’s five berths under a USD 2.7 bn contract.