Iraq has unveiled an ambitious $17 billion infrastructure project aimed at connecting Europe, West Asia, and Asia through a road and rail network.

• Known as the “Route of Development,” the project will link the Grand Faw Port in southern Iraq to the Turkish border in the north.
• Iraq hopes that this network will attract traffic away from Egypt’s Suez Canal and position itself as a crucial transportation hub in the region.
• Prime Minister Mohamed Shia al-Sudani announced the project during a conference with representatives from several countries, including Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates.
• He described the project as a cornerstone of a sustainable non-oil economy and a means to promote economic integration.