Minister of Transport: The development road is the artery of the 21st century and a turning point for Iraq’s economy.
Minister of Transport: The development road is the artery of the 21st century and a turning point for Iraq’s economy.
2026-08-26
Shafaq News – Baghdad
Minister of Transport Wahab Al-Hassani affirmed the ministry’s aspiration for Iraq to be the main nerve center for geo-economic connectivity between East and West, and the preferred logistics platform for global shipping companies.
This came during an interview he gave to the UAE’s English-language newspaper (The National), which publishes a specialized economic supplement covering multiple vital sectors.
Regarding the strategic development road project and its contribution to changing Iraq’s image from an oil-dependent country to a regional hub for transport and logistics, the minister said, “The transport sector is the main driver for the advancement of other sectors, and through the transformation into a logistics hub, we will witness the birth of a parallel economy based on services, manufacturing, assembly, storage, and insurance.”
He added that “this transformation will restructure the Iraqi economy to become a dynamic, multi-resource economy that reduces dependence on the fluctuations of global oil markets and creates a sustainable productive environment for future generations.”
Al-Hassani continued, saying, “The world today is looking for shorter, safer, and less expensive transport routes to create flexibility in global supply chains, and Iraq offers the optimal geographical and economic answer to this urgent international need.”
In another part of the discussion about the strategic development road project, the newspaper asked about the message that the ministry would like to send to investors and international shipping companies that are still hesitant to enter the Iraqi market. The Minister of Transport replied: “Our message is clear: the Iraqi development train has already started, and great opportunities are created in their beginnings.”
The minister stressed that “the investment environment in Iraq today is protected by modern legislation and high-level government guarantees, and the existing regional and international partnerships are the best evidence of the growing confidence in our country, and hesitation today means missing the opportunity to be present in the most efficient and promising trade corridor in the region.”
In closing, the Minister of Transport described the project to link the Gulf and Europe via Iraq as “the artery of the 21st century that shortens time, brings together the interests of nations, and establishes lasting and sustainable peace through a genuine economic partnership.”
In April 2024, Iraq, Turkey, the UAE and Qatar signed a four-way agreement for the Iraq Development Road project, under the auspices of former Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The project, which includes a 1,200-kilometer road and railway within Iraq, aims to promote economic integration between East and West, increase international trade, and facilitate the movement of goods.
The project’s investment budget is approximately $17 billion, divided between $6.5 billion for the highway and $10.5 billion for the electric railway. It will be implemented in three phases, ending in 2028, 2033, and 2050.
The project is expected to provide around 100,000 job opportunities in the first phase and one million job opportunities upon completion, and will promote economic growth and regional and international cooperation.
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