Iraq shortlists firms to operate Grand Faw Port: Iraq has shortlisted 11 shipping companies for its Grand Faw port operations contract, with a final decision to be announced in January 2025, Iraq’s General Ports Company Director General Farhan Al Fartousi told Reuters. The port is set to commence operations in 2026, with a maximum capacity of 3.5 mn containers annually expected to be reached by 2028.
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Who made the shortlist? Shortlisted firms include China Merchants Port Group Co and state-owned Cosco, Taiwanese container shipping line Evergreen, French liner group CMA CGM, Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), India’s Adani, UAE-based ABM Global Shipping, and Philippines-based International Container Terminal Services (ICTSI).
Background: Five berths have already been constructed for Grand Faw Port by contractor South Korea’s Daewoo Engineering and Construction and handed over to Iraqi authorities last week, according to the newswire. Phase one of the port is set to be completed in 2025.
REMEMBER- There’s big plans for Grand Faw: The UAE, Iraq, Turkey, and Qatar signed a preliminary agreement in April to work together on the Development Road project, which aims to connect Iraq’s Grand Faw Port to Turkey’s border via a rail and road network. The project — initiated last year by Iraq with a budget of USD 17 bn — aims to link Grand Faw Port to Turkey’s border via rail and road networks.