Widely known as the “route of development”, Iraq announces an ambitious plan of developing its road and rail infrastructure across the length of the country. This project is to encompass a total of 1200 kilometers stretching right from the border in the north surrounding Turkey to the Gulf at its south.
The project was announced by the Prime Minister Mohamed Shia Al-Sudani at a conference attended by representatives from the transport ministries of Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and the United Arab Emirates.
Faced with the devastating effects of war, widespread corruption and significant challenges with its infrastructure, the country particularly witnesses deteriorating roads. The roads connecting the capital city, Baghdad, to the northern regions traverse areas are still vulnerable to sporadic attacks by remnants of the Islamic State group.
By developing the road and rail corridor, Iraq seeks to leverage its strategic geographical location to become a transportation hub for the movement of goods and people between the Gulf region, Turkey, and Europe. This initiative aims to capitalize on Iraq’s advantageous position and unlock the potential for increased trade and connectivity, facilitating smoother movement of commodities and individuals across these regions.
Prime Minister Al-Sudani has identified the reconstruction of Iraq’s road network as a top priority. Additionally, there is a strong focus on improving the country’s failing electricity infrastructure. These efforts aim to address critical infrastructure deficiencies and lay the foundation for the country’s overall development and progress.
As part of the project, the construction of approximately 15 stations along the route is planned, encompassing major cities such as Basra, Baghdad, and Mosul, as well as extending up to the Turkish border.
Another example of such an ambitious project is the China-led Belt and Road initiative. Also known as the new silk route, this project covers areas of East Asia, Europe, Africa, Oceania and Latin America. This is a network of highways, railways, energy pipelines, etc. with the claimed purpose of “breaking the bottleneck in Asian connectivity. Currently, a significant number of countries, totaling 147, which represent about two-thirds of the world’s population and 40 percent of global GDP, have either signed agreements for BRI projects or expressed their interest in participating.
