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Baghdad central railway station, Iraq. Photo/REUTERS
BAGHDAD – Iraq on Saturday (27/5/2023) unveiled ambitious plans to transform itself into a regional transportation hub by developing road and rail infrastructure.
The transport line will connect Europe with the Gulf and other Middle Eastern countries.
Upon completion, the $17 billion project known as the “Development Route” will stretch the length of the country, stretching 1,200 kilometers from its northern border with Turkey to the Gulf in the south.
Iraqi Prime Minister (PM) Mohamed Shia al-Sudani announced the project during a conference with Transport Ministry representatives from Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria and the United Arab Emirates.
“We see this project as a pillar of a sustainable non-oil economy, a link serving Iraq’s neighbors and the region, and a contribution to economic integration efforts,” Sudani said.
“While further discussions are needed, any country that wishes will be able to implement part of the project,” said the Iraqi parliament’s transport committee.
The committee added the project could be completed in “three to five years.”
War-ravaged and beset by rampant corruption, oil-rich Iraq suffers from a dilapidated infrastructure.
Roads are in poor condition, including those that link the capital Baghdad to the northern cross area where remnants of ISIS continue to carry out sporadic attacks.
