The huge regional project “Development Road” connects Basra in the far south of Iraq through the large port of Al-Faw on the Arabian Gulf, all the way to Turkey and from there to Europe, with an extension into Iraq via land roads and a railway line to transport goods in record time, and provides opportunities for regional integration capable of improving… The economic conditions of the project countries, facilitating the movement of trade, reducing trade barriers, and enhancing regional cooperation. In the first practical steps to implement the “Development Road” project, the UAE, Iraq, Qatar, and Turkey signed a memorandum of understanding, to develop regional and international cooperation relations, through a new road that opens the way for movement. Trade, and provides an alternative to roads facing security threats and logistical obstacles in the region, hence the adoption of the “development road” between Turkey and Europe in the north, and the Arabian Gulf in the south, on land roads and a railway line, and extending from Iraq to Turkey and its ports for a distance of 1,200 kilometers until the Turkish port of Mersin. On the Mediterranean, with a budget of up to 17 billion dollars, it works to provide job opportunities for about one million people.
The new corridor would increase international trade, facilitate transportation and trade, and provide a new competitive transportation route. It is a project that is not separate from the corridor economy in the region, and it is possible that the “development road” will coordinate with the Chinese “Belt and Road” initiative, as the development road A new artery with tremendous potential to enhance regional trade, and is likely to reduce shipping costs and transportation time between Asia and Europe, and open new markets for Iraqi, Turkish, and Gulf products. The “Development Path” helps stimulate the economic growth of the project countries and diversify their economies, by encouraging investment in infrastructure, transportation, and logistics, which contributes to improving the standards and quality of living and achieving prosperity for the countries of the region. The project’s importance is not limited to the economic aspect, whether in trade exchange or shortening distances. And reduce costs. Rather, it is a bridge, a strategic corridor, and a competitive global logistics line that dedicates sustainable development and strengthens relations between the UAE, Qatar, Turkey, and Iraq.
The UAE’s participation in global development initiatives is a strategy whose elements are integrated with the aim of development, especially in the “Belt and Road Initiative” and the “Economic Corridor” between India, the Arabian Gulf and Europe, and most recently the “Development Road”, as the initiatives consolidate the UAE’s position as a strategic point of contact between the countries of the continents. Asia, Europe and Africa, and standing alongside the countries of the region, providing incentives for economic integration for the countries of the Middle East, and opening the door to investment opportunities in the fields of transport and logistics. Perhaps the development of the “Abu Dhabi Ports” group to expand the “Grand Faw” port aims to develop this sector in Iraq and build cooperation. Economic with Baghdad.
The “development road” could be transformed into a vital artery for the Iraqi economy, through the establishment of industrial cities and residential cities surrounding land roads, and the joining of the UAE and Qatar to the project – in addition to the fact that it stems from greater rapprochement with Iraq and Turkey – is the establishment of the idea of multiple corridors for transporting goods between regions. The world, and the arrival of exports to Europe, especially since the UAE is a global logistics center, and Qatar wants multiple ways to export gas to the world.
The multiplicity of corridors gives the opportunity for integration rather than competition, especially in the Middle East region, which creates new trade opportunities, increases the volume of foreign investments in infrastructure and projects related to transport and technology, and creates job opportunities that contribute to stability and building confidence among the countries of the region, as development is the basis of stability and prosperity. For the peoples.
Reem Al Kindi – Researcher/ Head of the Development and Rehabilitation Department – Trends Center for Research and Consultation
#Regional #integration #path #development
