On Saturday Iraq unveiled an ambitious plan to become a regional transport hub by developing road and rail infrastructure that would link Europe to the Persian Gulf and other countries in the Middle East, AFP reports.
After completion, the project – worth $17 billion – known as the “Route of Development” will stretch across the country for 1.2 thousand kilometers from the northern border with Turkey to the Persian Gulf in the south.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohamed Shia al-Sudani announced the project at a conference with the representatives of transport ministries of Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and the United Arab Emirates.
“We see this project as a pillar of a sustainable non-oil economy, a link that serves Iraq’s neighbours and the region, and a contribution to economic integration efforts,” he said.
The development of a road and rail corridor will allow Iraq to take advantage of its geographical location and turn the country into a transport hub between the Persian Gulf, Turkey and Europe.
