Latest news with #Al-Saadawi
Shafaq News
07-07-2025
- Business
- Shafaq News
Iraq reviews progress on Development Road as Faw Port nears completion
Shafaq News – Baghdad Iraqi Minister of Transport Razzaq Muhaibas al-Saadawi chaired a high-level meeting on Monday to assess progress on the Development Road Project, stressing the need to adhere to the planned timelines and intensify coordination with key government and international stakeholders. According to a ministry statement, the session focused on the detailed design phase of the Development Road, with expectations to present a first executable segment to major global firms by the end of this year. The participants reviewed cadastral map distribution across the provinces of Basra, Dhi Qar, Najaf, al-Anbar, Baghdad, Diwaniyah, and Saladin, with more regions to follow. Al-Saadawi emphasized the importance of high-level coordination with Turkiye, especially regarding technical and logistical matters tied to the project's next phase. Ports Director Farhan Al-Fartousi provided a detailed update on Grand Faw Port, noting 92% completion of the navigational channel, 94% completion of the container yard, and full delivery of all five berths as of November 7, 2024. He also confirmed that the linking road project has reached 100% completion, with discussions ongoing about management and operation strategies ahead of its opening to global investors. Minister Al-Saadawi concluded the meeting by stressing the urgency of delivering these strategic infrastructure projects, describing them as essential to Iraq's economic revival and its re-emergence as a key hub in regional and international transport and trade networks.
Iraqi News
02-07-2025
- Business
- Iraqi News
Iraqi Airways completes 70% of safety standards to lift EU ban
Baghdad ( – The Iraqi Minister of Transport, Razzaq Al-Saadawi, announced on Tuesday that Iraqi Airways has completed 70 percent of the safety requirements needed by the European Union (EU). In a statement to the state-run news agency (INA), Al-Saadawi explained that Iraq's national carrier had reached agreements with specialist foreign companies to help Iraqi Airways and the Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority (ICAA) meet the EU safety requirements. The European Union's ongoing embargo on Iraqi Airways' aircraft has been a significant obstacle for the airline for almost ten years. The International Air Transport Association's (IATA) international aviation safety requirements were not met by the company, which is why it was banned. Following the invasion of Kuwait by the previous Iraqi regime and the application of international sanctions on Iraq, Iraqi Airways was banned by the European Union in 1991. Due to violations of air safety regulations, the ban was reinstated in 2015 after having been temporarily lifted in 2009. The issue continues despite Iraq's multiple attempts to have the ban lifted, raising concerns about the underlying reasons for its persistence. According to experts, the primary cause of Iraqi Airways' ongoing European ban is the airline's noncompliance with the safety regulations set out by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). To enable Iraqi Airways to meet international standards, the Iraqi Prime Minister, Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, ordered the adoption of a new administrative organizational structure during a meeting with a delegation from IATA earlier in November. According to Maitham Al-Safi, the spokesperson for the Iraqi Transport Ministry, the prohibition is due to the company's failure to comply with international safety standards established by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Until Baghdad completes the safety standards required by the EU, the ban imposed on Iraqi Airways' access to European airspace since 2015 is a significant obstacle for the Iraqi aviation sector.
Shafaq News
16-06-2025
- Business
- Shafaq News
Iraq to repatriate stranded citizens
Shafaq News/ Iraq will begin emergency repatriation flights on Tuesday for nationals stranded in Lebanon, Turkiye, and Georgia, amid airspace closures caused by the Iran-Israel war, Transport Minister Razzaq al-Saadawi confirmed on Monday. Al-Saadawi told Shafaq News that Cyprus had granted overflight permission to Iraqi carriers, allowing evacuation flights to proceed via Basra International Airport. The move follows growing appeals from stranded Iraqis abroad. In response, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani ordered the formation of an emergency task force to coordinate the evacuations and manage logistics across affected routes. Iraq closed its airspace on June 13 following Israeli airstrikes on Iranian territory and Iran's retaliatory launch of ballistic and hypersonic projectiles toward Israeli cities. The closure has disrupted civilian air traffic across the Middle East, with global carriers forced to reroute or suspend flights. Iraq's suspension in particular halted transit through a key corridor connecting Europe and the Gulf, compounding delays for nationals and foreign carriers. Iraq has not yet announced when it will reopen its airspace to commercial traffic, though officials indicated the decision depends on the evolution of the conflict.
Iraqi News
21-05-2025
- Business
- Iraqi News
Iraq launches first part of Development Road project
Baghdad ( – The General Company for Ports of Iraq (GCPI) revealed on Monday that the first part of the Development Road project, which connects the Al-Faw Grand Port and Umm Qasr, has been completed. The 62-kilometer road has three lanes for heavy trucks and is protected with a high-quality safety wall to ensure vehicle safety, according to a statement released by the Iraqi Ministry of Transport. The finished part is 51 kilometers long, extending from the Al-Faw Grand Port to the underwater tunnel, with an additional 11 kilometers to the main road toward the southern town of Safwan near the Kuwaiti border. The project contains two main bridges that are 805 meters and 300 meters long and is equipped with solar-powered lights to ensure sustainable energy and current technology utilization. The Iraqi Minister of Transport, Razzaq Al-Saadawi, revealed in March that the first phase of the Al-Faw Grand Port will be completed by the end of 2025. Expected to be the biggest seaport in the Middle East, Iraq's Al-Faw Grand Port stands out due to its open-sea setting, which spans 54 square kilometers, according to Al-Saadawi. The first phase of the project consists of five piers, which have been completely finished; a 62-kilometer road that connects the Al-Faw Grand Port to Umm Qasr port city; a 2,400-meter-long submerged tunnel; a ship canal; and a container yard, according to the Iraqi News Agency (INA). The underwater tunnel being built under the Khor Al-Zubair Channel forms part of the new highway being built to link the Al-Faw Grand Port to Umm Qasr Port and the existing transport network, including Iraq's Development Road. The Al-Faw Grand Port is located on the Khor Abdallah Channel, near the mouth of Shatt Al-Arab. According to Maritime Gateway News, the five container shipping berths, which have been constructed by Daewoo E&C, a company located in South Korea, can each hold ships up to 23,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU). With 100 berths and the capacity to handle 7.5 million TEU annually, the Al-Faw Grand Port is expected to surpass Dubai's 67-berth Jebel Ali as the largest container port in the Middle East when finished in 2038. Four million TEU of containers may be handled annually by the port's first phase, which is anticipated to be finished in 2028. By connecting the port city of Basra to Turkey via an overland route, the $7 billion logistics project will compete with Egypt's Suez Canal and establish Basra as a gateway to Europe. The strategic project of the Development Road aims to connect Asia and Europe through gas and oil pipelines, rail networks, and road networks.
Iraqi News
02-05-2025
- Iraqi News
MOT: Preparations are completed for the airlift of Iraqi pilgrims
INA – BAGHDAD The Ministry of Transport announced on Friday the completion of its preparations for the airlift of Iraqi pilgrims, setting May 8th as the date for the launch of the first flight. "Minister of Transport Razzaq Muhaibis Al-Saadawi directed Iraqi Airways to fully adhere to the approved operational plan, ensuring the provision of the best services to the Guests of the Merciful," said a statement by the Ministry – received by the Iraqi News Agency – INA. Al-Saadawi stressed "the importance of high coordination between the various technical and administrative staff and relevant institutions to achieve the highest levels of smoothness and accuracy in departure and arrival times." The statement added that "the Iraqi Airways Company has set the date for the launch of the first flights for the airlift of Iraqi pilgrims to the Holy Lands, starting May 8th, with five flights per day," indicating that "the airlift operation will continue until the 28th of the same month." 'The latest wide-body aircraft, including the 787 Dreamliner, Boeing 737, and Airbus A330, equipped to the highest international specifications, have been provided, in addition to providing specialized flight crews and comprehensive hospitality services to ensure the comfort and safety of pilgrims," included in the stadium.
