The latest Umm Qasr Business News – new Kuwaiti port, Mubarak, Umm Qasr, Iraq – Kuwait / Iraq disputes and more – brought to you by Iraq Business
By John Lee. Gulftainer has launched its first dedicated feeder service linking the UAE and Umm Qasr, seventeen years after the company established Iraq's first modern container terminal at the port in 2009. According to Gulftainer, the new service is operated under the company's shipping arm, GT Lines, and connects Umm Qasr directly to UAE […]
By John Lee. A weekly shipping service has been launched linking Abu Dhabi's Khalifa Port with Umm Qasr Port in Iraq, aimed at enhancing trade flows across the region. According to Abu Dhabi Ports (AD Ports Group), the service addresses growing container and Ro-Ro cargo volumes and is designed to strengthen connectivity between Lebanon, Syria, […]
By John Lee. A cargo vessel operated by Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) was struck by two projectiles near Umm Qasr on 1st June, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) Centre and MSC. The vessel, the MSC Sariska V, was departing port when the first projectile hit while the pilot was still onboard; […]
By John Lee. Iraq's Ministry of Electricity has agreed steps with Turkish company BKPS to reactivate a powership currently docked at Umm Qasr. Electricity Minister Ali Saadawi Wahib met with representatives of BKPS, an affiliate of Karpowership, ahead of peak summer demand. Powerships are self-contained, multi-fuel enabled floating power plants. (Source: Ministry of Electricity)
By John Lee. Twister for General Trading (sic) has won a contract with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for "Supply and Installation of IT Equipment to UM Qasr [Umm Qasr], Basra Port Unit, Basra Governorate - Iraq for UNODC." Ref: 10525132. Contract value is stated as $40,072.58. (Source: UNGM)
By John Lee. The Iraqi Ministry of Transport has reported continued arrivals of cargo vessels at Iraqi ports during March, reflecting ongoing maritime trade activity despite regional tensions. According to the ministry, maritime agencies of the State Company for Maritime Transport (SCMT) have continued to provide services to incoming vessels, while cargo handling operations are […]
By John Lee. Gaith Al-Meshreq has won a contract with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for "Refurbishing Port Control Unit at the Port of Um Qasr, Basrah." Contract value is stated as $23,530.57. (Source: UNGM)
By John Lee. The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, is investing in Aloreen Company for Investments Limited to finance new port equipment and expand capacity at Umm Qasr, Iraq's only deep-water port. The financing package will support the procurement of: Four ship-to-shore cranes; Ten rubber-tyred gantry cranes. The investment […]
By John Lee. Iraq's Ministry of Trade has reopened Berth No. 10 at the Umm Qasr grain silo following completion of maintenance and rehabilitation works, restoring the facility to full operational readiness as a key strategic gateway for wheat imports and storage. The reopening ceremony was attended by the Director General of the State Company […]
By John Lee. Gulftainer has reported a 28 percent increase in throughput and container handling at its Iraq Container Terminal (ICT) at the start of 2026 compared with the same period last year. The company attributed the growth to expanded carrier services, an enhanced product portfolio and improved operational performance, strengthening the terminal's role as a […]
From Almas Group Logistics: New Customs Regulations Take Effect at Umm Qasr Port: What Iraqi Importers Need to Know Iraqi Customs implements item-based duty calculations under Council of Ministers Decision No. 957/2025 applying customs duties based on individual item classification and value. Significant changes to customs clearance procedures are now in effect at Umm Qasr […]
By John Lee. The General Company for Ports of Iraq (GCPI) has launched a new direct international Ro-Ro shipping line linking Port Rashid in the United Arab Emirates with Umm Qasr port, with the arrival of the first shipment of TIR trucks. The service, inaugurated on 25 December 2025, operates with a transit time of […]
