Dr. Eng. Farhan Al-Fartousi, Director General of the General Company for Ports of Iraq, participated in a specialized session titled “Transportation and Supply Chains: Restructuring Reform” during the inaugural Iraqi Business Summit (IBS 2025). The event brought together key players in the transportation, logistics, energy, and investment sectors in Iraq.
In his remarks, the Director General stated that “Al Faw Grand Port Project is progressing through advanced stages of completion, and the file regarding the strategic partner for the port’s operation is nearing its resolution.” He further noted, “The official announcement will be made within a month at the latest.”
He elaborated, “In the initial phase, we focused on a joint operation management approach. We conducted a series of visits to the world’s leading ports that dominate East-West trade and extended formal invitations for partnership in managing Al Faw Grand Port Project. We received multiple responses, which were analyzed in alignment with our technical vision and through committees formed in the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers and the Ministry of Transport. Additionally, we sought advice from our technical partners, including the Italian consultancy for the project.”
He added, “For Al Faw Grand Port to evolve into a competitive global hub, an integrated operational structure is required. This will rely on digitalization, workforce training, the recruitment of qualified personnel, and carefully planned expansions based on realistic feasibility studies and professional market and marketing research. We are systematically progressing in these areas.”
He emphasized that “the selection of the operational partner will not merely be an administrative step; it will signify a qualitative leap in the port’s capacity to integrate into global supply chains.” He clarified, “Through the anticipated administration, we aim to make the supply chain of Al Faw Grand Port efficient and seamless, akin to major global ports.”
Concluding his address, the Director General affirmed: “Our goal is for Al Faw Grand Port not to be merely a location on the map but to become a strategic axis in international trade movements and a key economic driver for Iraq and the region.
