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Iraq has launched plans to quadruple the capacity of the southern Umm Qasr port amidst an upturn in business.
The move follows an announcement by Iraq’s General Company for Ports in Iraq (GCPI) about a master plan to establish Iraq as a regional supply chain hub.
The port, a vital gateway for Iraq’s global trade, is being upgraded with expanded berths, advanced storage yards, and digital customs systems designed to accelerate clearance and enhance logistics efficiency.
Multiple investment firms are involved in the overhaul, including UAE-based Gulftainer which is managing key berths and storage zones, and China’s Lurin Investment which is leading the expansion of roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) terminals and rear storage areas.
Both companies, working with Iraqi teams, are implementing electronic management platforms to cut dwell times and boost performance.
“Operations at the Gulftainer-run terminal have significantly improved in recent years,” the company’s regional director, Ibrahim Sarhan, told Iraq’s Shafaq news agency.
“Our digital system plans storage before vessels arrive, reducing wait times and increasing operational output.”
The new berths under Lurin’s supervision extend 550 metres and will add 850,000 containers to overall capacity, bringing the combined throughput of upgraded areas to 1.2 million containers this year.
GCPI said the plan aims to expand the port’s designed capacity to four million containers per year from its present capacity of one million containers.
(Writing by Nadim Kawach; Editing by Anoop Menon)
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