Includes electricity and fiber optic transmission lines too
Prime Minister directs study on using Development Road for oil and gas transport
BAGHDAD — Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani on Thursday directed the preparation of a study on using the Development Road for transporting oil and gas during a regular meeting of the Higher Committee for the Development Road Project.
The Development Road is an ambitious $17 billion project aiming to connect southern and northern Iraq through an extended network of railroads and highways, positioning Iraq as a strategic transit hub between the Gulf region and Turkey. Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar have signed onto the project, promising investment to develop the transit route.
A statement from Al-Sudani’s office said the meeting included officials from the Ministries of Planning, Oil, Electricity, and Communications. Participants discussed a study on the “service corridor” within the project, which includes routes for fiber optic cables, oil and gas pipelines, and electricity and renewable energy transmission lines.
Al-Sudani instructed the Ministry of Oil to prepare a consultative study to integrate its projects into a strategic vision for using the Development Road to transport and export oil and gas according to the investment and production map. He also directed the relevant ministries to make decisions about the transit route exclusively through the Higher Committee for the Development Road Project.
The meeting decided that the General Company for Land Transport will serve as the guarantor for transporting goods via the Development Road.
While some have cast doubt on Iraq’s ability to execute the project given its massive annual deficit of around $50 billion, Prime Minister Al-Sudani has prioritized the initiative. He has discussed it with neighboring countries and held regular meetings with relevant bodies in his government. The project was a top item on the agenda during meetings between the Turkish and Iraqi officials during Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to Bagdhad in late April.
Oil minister highlights ambitious plans for oil, gas production
