The key facts

  • The expansion of the Development Road project is planned to begin in early 2027, Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi said in Amman
  • The expansion will include industrial cities; the Grand Faw port is expected to open at full capacity for commercial shipping
  • The Iraqi section of the corridor, about 1,200 km long, will link the Persian Gulf with European markets via Turkey

Prime Minister's statement in Amman

Iraq intends to begin work on expanding the Development Road project in early 2027. Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Ali al-Zaidi (as stated in the source) announced this on Monday, speaking before Iraqi entrepreneurs and investors in Amman, according to a statement from his media office, Anadolu reports. According to him, the expansion will include the creation of industrial cities, and the Grand Faw port will open at full capacity for commercial shipping.

What the project is

The Development Road is a planned rail-and-road corridor that will connect a port in southern Iraq with the Turkish border and, further on, through Turkey, with Europe. The Iraqi section will stretch approximately 1,200 kilometers (745 miles), forming a freight route between the Persian Gulf and European markets. Al-Zaidi said the projects should turn Iraq into a major transit hub for trade between East and West.

Context and status of the agreements

The statement came after al-Zaidi said on Friday that Baghdad would invite Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to the groundbreaking ceremony after Iraq's budget is approved. Cooperation on the project is formalized in a memorandum of understanding signed by Iraq, Turkey, Qatar and the UAE in April 2024. Thus, the announced start date for the expansion — early 2027 — remains a plan tied to budget approval, not work already underway.