Ministry of Trade: Umm Qasr silo dock reopened after a 10-year hiatus
Ministry of Trade: Umm Qasr silo dock reopened after a 10-year hiatus
2026-02-18
The Ministry of Trade announced on Wednesday the reopening of the Umm Qasr silo dock after a 10-year hiatus. Haider Al-Karawi, Director General of the Grain Trading Company, stated during the opening ceremony that “the silo dock in Umm Qasr dates back to the 1980s and is the only government port dedicated to grain trade within Iraq’s borders. It is also one of the important silos as it is the first and most important entry point for wheat into the country, and it will play a major role if Iraq turns to exporting in the future.”
He also explained that “the silo and the dock have been out of service since 2016 due to gross negligence, even though the required maintenance work was simple, but they were left untreated, which led to them being damaged more over time.”
He also pointed out that “in 2023, after taking over the management of the company, coordination was made with the engineers of the Umm Qasr silo and a plan was put in place to restart operations. The silo was put into operation within a month and a half, and after its inauguration by the Prime Minister, the silo has been operational since 2023 until now.” He explained that “the main problem was with the waterfront of the dock, as it was severely damaged. There was a previous study that estimated the cost of rehabilitating the dock and the silo together at 48 billion dinars, while the work that has been completed so far has not exceeded 1.9 billion dinars.” He continued, “A Romanian wheat ship for the private sector was unloaded without interruption, and the unloading fees at the silo exceed 630 million dinars, which go to the state treasury, the Ministry of Finance, and the General Company for Grain Trade.” He noted that “this is the first ship to be received after a 10-year hiatus.”
He pointed out that “the suction trucks are currently operating with good efficiency, as they can unload about 10,000 tons within two days, a ship with a capacity of 30,000 tons within three to four days, and a ship with a capacity of 40,000 tons within five to six days, which means the possibility of receiving at least three ships per month, with revenues that exceed the cost of rehabilitation, which amounted to 1.9 billion dinars.”
He stressed that “the dock and silo are state property and not for the private sector, and that 35% of these large revenues are allocated to employee salaries, while 65% goes to the state treasury as public revenues.”
burathanews.com
