In cooperation with Kurdistan, Baghdad is moving to form an independent federal administration for the development road project.
In cooperation with Kurdistan, Baghdad is moving to form an independent federal administration for the development road project.
2025-08-27 03:02
Shafaq News – Baghdad
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Planning, Mohammed Ali Tamim, held a joint meeting today, Wednesday, with a delegation from the Kurdistan Regional Government. The meeting was devoted to discussing the identification of a link point for the development road route on the Iraq-Turkey border and coordination mechanisms with the regional government to achieve the project’s development goals.
According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Planning, the meeting was attended by Federal Minister of Transport Razzaq Al-Saadawi, General Coordinator for Provincial Affairs Ahmed Al-Fatlawi, Chairman of the Advisory Board Abdul Karim Al-Faisal, Economic Advisor to the Prime Minister Mohammed Ali Al-Hakim, Chairman of the Border Ports Authority Omar Al-Waili, and a number of directors general from the Ministries of Transport and Construction and Housing.
The Kurdistan Regional Government was represented by the Minister of Transport and Communications, Ano Jawhar Abdoka, the head of the region’s representation in Baghdad, Faris Abdul Karim, and a number of general managers in the regional government.
The statement quoted Tamim as saying that the development road project does not overlap with any other international project, but rather represents an integration with the global road network, contributing to reducing the time and cost of transporting goods and passengers.
He emphasized that the project is a federal project, and therefore its management and security will fall under the purview of the federal government. He explained that the revenues generated by the project will be distributed in accordance with the provisions of the Iraqi constitution, noting that the intention is to form an independent federal administration with full powers to manage the project.
For his part, the Kurdistan Regional Government’s Minister of Transport and Communications emphasized the strategic importance of the development road, describing it as “Iraq’s long-awaited dream” due to the major development services it will provide from Basra to Kurdistan.
Abdoka reiterated the regional government’s support for the project and its keenness to provide the best conditions for its implementation.
The meeting included a detailed discussion of the project’s routes in the Kurdistan Region, the transit points leading to the Turkish border, and the economic and development feasibility of each stop along the route.
The two sides also discussed the points of view of determining the connection point with neighboring Turkey, and the mechanisms for linking cities via roads and railways to the main route, in order to achieve the greatest possible economic benefits from the project. This will contribute to enhancing development in the areas through which it passes, by providing job opportunities and building economic and industrial cities, given that the route will be outside the city centers, thus reducing the volume of expropriations, conflicts, and violations, according to a statement from the Iraqi Ministry of Planning.
In April 2024, Iraq, Turkey, the UAE, and Qatar signed a quadripartite agreement on the Iraq Development Road Project, under the auspices of Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
The agreement aims to enhance cooperation regarding Iraq’s strategic development project, as the four countries will work to establish the necessary frameworks for its implementation, according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office.
The strategic development road project is expected to contribute to stimulating economic growth and strengthening regional and international cooperation, achieving economic integration and sustainability between East and West.
The project will also increase international trade, facilitate the movement of goods, provide a new competitive transportation route, and enhance regional economic prosperity.
It’s worth noting that the “Development Road” project is a land and railway route extending from Iraq to Turkey and its ports. The road and railway span 1,200 kilometers within Iraq and are primarily intended to transport goods between Europe and the Gulf states.
The project’s investment budget is approximately $17 billion, including $6.5 billion for the expressway and $10.5 billion for the electric train. It will be completed in three phases, the first of which will end in 2028, the second in 2033, and the third in 2050.
The project is expected to provide approximately 100,000 job opportunities in the first phase, and one million job opportunities upon completion.
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