What Is Grand Faw Port?

Grand Faw Port (ميناء الفاو الكبير) is a huge new deep-water port under construction on the Al-Faw Peninsula in Basra Governorate in southern Iraq. It sits on Iraq’s only stretch of the Arabian Gulf coastline, making it strategically vital for trade and maritime access. 

The port is intended to be:

• One of the largest ports in the Middle East and the world
• A central gateway between Asia and Europe
• The southern terminus of Iraq’s major infrastructure vision called the Development Road (a “dry canal” connecting the Gulf to Europe by road and rail)  

📦 Strategic Vision & Economic Role

Grand Faw Port is much more than a dock — it’s a cornerstone of Iraq’s broader economic transformation plan:

📍 Strategic Location

• On the Arabian Gulf at the edge of the Faw Peninsula, giving Iraq direct access to deep sea trade lanes.  

🛠 National & Regional Hub

• Designed to boost trade, exports, and logistics, reducing Iraq’s dependence on external transit routes.  
• Expected to attract foreign investment and create hundreds of thousands of jobs.  

🛣 Part of the 

Development Road

• This multimodal corridor of railways, highways, industrial zones, and logistics routes would link Grand Faw Port to Turkey and ultimately Europe.  
• It aims to form an alternate north-south trade route (“dry canal”) that could shorten shipping times and bypass congested maritime chokepoints like the Suez Canal.  

📊 Size & Capacity (Phases)

The project is planned in multiple phases, growing significantly over time: 

✔ Phase I (Completed or near operation)

• 5 berths completed — first operational core of the port.  
• Initial capacity expected to handle millions of containers annually (3.5 M TEU initial container capacity).  

🚢 Later Phases (2030–2045)

• Plans envision up to 100 berths by final phase.  
• Full container capacity potentially 25 M TEU per year and 55 million tons of bulk cargo.  
• Will include container terminals, dry bulk handling, oil terminals, and roll-on/roll-off facilities.  

📦 Ancillary Infrastructure

• A free trade zone spanning ~54 km² surrounding the port.  
• Tunnel and road links to existing Iraqi port of Umm Qasr across the Khor al-Zubair waterway (boosting connectivity).  

🏗 Engineering Highlights

• World’s longest breakwater: The port’s breakwater surpasses 14.5 km, earning a mention in the Guinness World Records.  
• Deep channels & modern berths: Designed with deep water access to handle the largest modern container ships.  

🛢 Economic & Strategic Impact

The Grand Faw Port is expected to:

📈 Drive Economic Growth

• Increase trade volumes and exports (goods and potentially oil).  
• Reduce logistics costs and transit times.  

🧑‍💼 Job Creation

• Hundreds of thousands of jobs in construction, logistics, services and industries tied to the port.  

🌍 Enhance International Position

• Position Iraq as a regional transit hub between Asia, the Gulf, and Europe.  

🗓 Timeline & Construction Status

• Initial construction began in earnest during the 2010s but faced delays due to funding and politics.  
• Core sections (first berths) have been completed and handed over to Iraqi port authorities by late 2024.
• Ongoing construction and infrastructure linking the port to hinterland transport networks continues toward 2030 and beyond as part of Development Road goals.

💡 Why It Matters

Grand Faw Port represents more than a port:

• It gives Iraq greater control over its maritime access rather than relying solely on smaller waterways or foreign ports.