Shame wallah !! i don't find that reasonable, must be for political reasons
Iraq refuses railway link to Gulf Arab States
Iraq’s refusal for railways to Gulf states to protect Iraqi ports, Minister says
November 6, 2010 - 10:24:59
BAGHDAD / Aswat al-Iraq: Iraq’s Transport Minister said on Saturday that the reason why Iraq refused the project to link Iraq with the Gulf states through railways, has been taken to project Iraqi ports. He added that the border problem with Iran had hampered the clearing of sunken ships and materials in Shatt Al-Arab Waterway.
“The reason behind Iraq’s refusal of the railway link with the Gulf states is to protect Iraqi ports, because if the country is linked with the Gulf states and Iran by railways, the Iraqi ports shall die!,” Minister Amer Abdul-Jabbar told Saudi Middle East Newspaper.
The Minister said that “the Arab Gulf states enjoy huge deepness, compares with Iraqi ports..So, if we agree on the railway linkage, all goods would be transported from the Arab Gulf states to all Iraqi provinces, through dry channels, hampering ships to reach Iraqi ports.”
As regards to the problem with the Iranian side, the Minister said: “The main problem related to clear up the ships and other materials sunk in Shatt Al-Arab Waterway is the main issue facing the drawing of the borders with Iran,” adding that “there are problems with Iran regarding the drawing of borders, and there is a joint committee discussing the problem, that we hope would be able to settle the problem, to enable us clear the sunken ships and materials in the nearest possible time
“It is too difficult to clear up those sunken ships and other materials from Shatt Al-Arab waters, due to the lack of our Ministry’s possession of gigantic lifting machines, with 2,000-ton capacity, able to lift those ships and materials,” he said, adding that “25 sunken sea materials had been lifted from the Shatt (Waterway) over the past two years, where Khor al-Zubeir Sea Canal was concentrated on, whilst Um-Qasr Port is large and demands us to lift the sunken materials that undermine sea transportation through it.”
Southern Iraq’s Basra port-city has five trade ports and two oil terminals, first is “Maaqal,” considered the mother terminal, established in 1916, when it had been used by the British occupation forces, and was handed over to the Iraqis in 1937, as well as the building of the “Faw” terminal the same year, expected to become a larger Iraqi terminal in the forthcoming years, along with the the construction of Umm-Qasr terminal in the early 1970s and Khor Al-Zubeir and Abu-Flous Terminal on Shatt Al-Arab bank, which was recently activated due to the increase of imports by the private sector.
November 6, 2010 - 10:24:59
BAGHDAD / Aswat al-Iraq: Iraq’s Transport Minister said on Saturday that the reason why Iraq refused the project to link Iraq with the Gulf states through railways, has been taken to project Iraqi ports. He added that the border problem with Iran had hampered the clearing of sunken ships and materials in Shatt Al-Arab Waterway.
“The reason behind Iraq’s refusal of the railway link with the Gulf states is to protect Iraqi ports, because if the country is linked with the Gulf states and Iran by railways, the Iraqi ports shall die!,” Minister Amer Abdul-Jabbar told Saudi Middle East Newspaper.
The Minister said that “the Arab Gulf states enjoy huge deepness, compares with Iraqi ports..So, if we agree on the railway linkage, all goods would be transported from the Arab Gulf states to all Iraqi provinces, through dry channels, hampering ships to reach Iraqi ports.”
As regards to the problem with the Iranian side, the Minister said: “The main problem related to clear up the ships and other materials sunk in Shatt Al-Arab Waterway is the main issue facing the drawing of the borders with Iran,” adding that “there are problems with Iran regarding the drawing of borders, and there is a joint committee discussing the problem, that we hope would be able to settle the problem, to enable us clear the sunken ships and materials in the nearest possible time
“It is too difficult to clear up those sunken ships and other materials from Shatt Al-Arab waters, due to the lack of our Ministry’s possession of gigantic lifting machines, with 2,000-ton capacity, able to lift those ships and materials,” he said, adding that “25 sunken sea materials had been lifted from the Shatt (Waterway) over the past two years, where Khor al-Zubeir Sea Canal was concentrated on, whilst Um-Qasr Port is large and demands us to lift the sunken materials that undermine sea transportation through it.”
Southern Iraq’s Basra port-city has five trade ports and two oil terminals, first is “Maaqal,” considered the mother terminal, established in 1916, when it had been used by the British occupation forces, and was handed over to the Iraqis in 1937, as well as the building of the “Faw” terminal the same year, expected to become a larger Iraqi terminal in the forthcoming years, along with the the construction of Umm-Qasr terminal in the early 1970s and Khor Al-Zubeir and Abu-Flous Terminal on Shatt Al-Arab bank, which was recently activated due to the increase of imports by the private sector.
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i've read that a couple of days ago 
was about to post it in the railways thread.
Do you agree with their logic? I'm not sure if it's exactly right.. even if Iraq does link up.. they can still control the flow of trains, and can make alot of money from fees as well..
also, this will not affect revenue earned from oil tankers at iraqi ports, so even if ALL standard cargo comes in by train (which isn't likely in anyway), the ports will still make plenty of money from oil tankers !
was about to post it in the railways thread.Do you agree with their logic? I'm not sure if it's exactly right.. even if Iraq does link up.. they can still control the flow of trains, and can make alot of money from fees as well..
also, this will not affect revenue earned from oil tankers at iraqi ports, so even if ALL standard cargo comes in by train (which isn't likely in anyway), the ports will still make plenty of money from oil tankers !
it is a shame, a short train ride to neighbouring saudi arabia or kuwait would be nice but they do have a point, iraqi ports will be out of business.
yeah i guess having modern railway links can be a major boost to the economy^^ i've read that a couple of days ago
Do you agree with their logic? I'm not sure if it's exactly right.. even if Iraq does link up.. they can still control the flow of trains, and can make alot of money from fees as well..
also, this will not affect revenue earned from oil tankers at iraqi ports, so even if ALL standard cargo comes in by train (which isn't likely in anyway), the ports will still make plenty of money from oil tankers !
I can see the point he makes, and I do agree with him to an extent. However his reasoning is short termist in my opinion, since railway traffic can be two ways... and having a rail link to the gulf would open up a new markets for Iraq's bulk goods like cement, phosphates etc...
Not to mention that protection can be given to Iraqi ports through strict tariffs and customs on imports... just my two cents.I can see the point he makes, and I do agree with him to an extent. However his reasoning is short termist in my opinion, since railway traffic can be two ways... and having a rail link to the gulf would open up a new markets for Iraq's bulk goods like cement, phosphates etc...
yeah and after years of sanctions you would think they would jump at any opportunity to be re-connected again...I can see the point he makes, and I do agree with him to an extent. However his reasoning is short termist in my opinion, since railway traffic can be two ways... and having a rail link to the gulf would open up a new markets for Iraq's bulk goods like cement, phosphates etc...
This government would rather connect with their masters in Iran.
^^ this is actually true. there are 2 or 3 crossings to Iran (I'm not 100% sure). the one in Basra is U/C (well it has been for a while now).
If i was incharge of Iraq. I'll open up connections to all our neighbors. a link to Kuwait/ KSA will go along way for Iraq IMO.
If i was incharge of Iraq. I'll open up connections to all our neighbors. a link to Kuwait/ KSA will go along way for Iraq IMO.
Just some info: much of Europe's overseas trade goes through the port of Rotterdam. This shows the difference in mentality between Europe and the Middle East
:2cents:
:2cents:
you mean much of the EU part of europe.Just some info: much of Europe's overseas trade goes through the port of Rotterdam. This shows the difference in mentality between Europe and the Middle East
:2cents:
The EU is a "single market" with (most) of the mainland on the one currency as well as "equally shared" subsidies for their farmers and industries.
Therefore for all intents and purposes they are economically tied together.
Therefore the above is not an analogy to the situation Iraq is in, where the neighbours are subsidising their industries and ports to the detriment of Iraq's economic development. So Iraq putting up protection measures are normal (in the same way that europeans protect their farmers from non EU produce)... so the mentality is pretty similar actually.
^^ yes, but in my opinion, Iraq can still implement a reasonable protectionist policy while connecting rail.
Mersin International Port in Turkey for example has a free trade zone where goods can be unloaded and then sent off to third countries tax free, I am sure that the one in the UAE (forgot its name) has a similar system.you mean much of the EU part of europe.
The EU is a "single market" with (most) of the mainland on the one currency as well as "equally shared" subsidies for their farmers and industries.
Therefore for all intents and purposes they are economically tied together.
Therefore the above is not an analogy to the situation Iraq is in, where the neighbours are subsidising their industries and ports to the detriment of Iraq's economic development. So Iraq putting up protection measures are normal (in the same way that europeans protect their farmers from non EU produce)... so the mentality is pretty similar actually.
The thing here is, Iraq does not have much port options and any port it is thinking of investing in is seriously not going to be an international port, so logistically and financially it would be much better for it to take advantage of the already developed international ports around it.
The difference in Europe is that they put economical and logistical rationalism before national pride.
PS: Turkey is not an EU member, but many goods coming to Turkey are disembarked at the Port of Rotterdam and then transited to Turkey. (there is a direct transit line between Rotterdam and Istanbul)
But what about oil? Is it feasible to send it by trains to some other countries than just unload it from pipelines through Basra?>
I'm sure the train line would be for goods coming into Iraq, not for the oil, there are already pipelines for that.But what about oil? Is it feasible to send it by trains to some other countries than just unload it from pipelines through Basra?>
I don't see how Iraq can't spend some more money and make Basra a good port. Perhaps, this is their way of rehabilitating the area there even though I am in agreement with rail links to all of middle east.
there is already a deal for the al-faw port. there is a thread for it somewhere.
If built, it would be one of the biggest in the middle east. emphasis on the "if built" part..
If built, it would be one of the biggest in the middle east. emphasis on the "if built" part..
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