Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – Iraq’s state-owned General Company for Ports of Iraq (GCPI) announced on Thursday the official inauguration of a new maritime shipping line with the UAE with the arrival of the first vessel from Dubai’s Mina Rashid.
The GCPI said in a statement that the first cargo of roll-on/roll-off (Ro-Ro) trucks arrived at Umm Qasr Port on Thursday, inaugurating a direct international shipping line connecting Port Rashid in the UAE with the southern Iraqi port, the Iraqi News Agency (INA) reported.
This step aims to improve trade maritime transit times because Ro-Ro truck shipments at ports involve driving trucks directly onto specially constructed ships via integrated ramps, avoiding cranes and speeding up loading/unloading for efficient international transport.
These specialist vessels have many decks and ramps for smooth mobility, making them perfect for transporting automobiles, buses, and fully loaded trailers while reducing handling and damage concerns.
The new route will facilitate bilateral commerce between Iraq and the UAE while also improving the efficiency of regional supply chains.
The maritime link not only serves the Iraqi market, but it also creates a logistical corridor that connects Iraq to neighboring countries such as Jordan, Syria, and Turkey via existing land transport networks, bolstering Iraq’s status as a regional transit center.
Dubai-based multinational logistics company DP World said in mid-December that DP World Express, the vessel operating the new 36-hour marine service, can accommodate up to 145 trailer trucks each voyage between Dubai’s Mina Rashid and Iraq’s Umm Qasr Port.
The vessel will transport non-containerized complete trailer units with drivers on board, offering consumers a direct and safe door-to-door service between the UAE and Iraq.
The step underscores increasing market demand for quicker and more regulated trailer movements, reducing handling needs and improving planning across major sectors.
