BAGHDAD: Iraq yesterday signed a $ 14 million deal with a US consortium to modernize a major port in the country's southern province of Basra in a move aimed at developing key infrastructure neglected during years of war and sanctions.
Under the 10-year agreement with a consortium led by North America Western Asia Holdings, the companies will invest in a new heavy-lift crane as well as container handling capabilities and build a modern container yard in one of the 14 berths in the Maqal Port on Shatt Al-Arab waterway, the company said in a statement.
The consortium also will dredge Shatt Al-Arab, which is currently unable to welcome deep-water vessels because of years of neglect, to nine meters (yards) to make it a "deep water" port, the statement added. The 93-year-old port is one of four in Basra on the Persian Gulf for commercial goods.
The Shatt al-Arab waterway, known in Iran as Arvand River, is formed by the confluence of the Tigris and Euphrates river, meandering south between Iran and Iraq before it spills into the northern Persian Gulf. Basra, where the signing ceremony took place, is located some 550 kilometers (340 miles) southeast of Baghdad.
"Modernizing Maqal Port is one step in Iraq's greater vision to improve and expand our country's shipping and port capabilities," the Iraqi minister of transportation, Hadi Al-Amiri, said in a statement. He added that NAWAH's commitment to Iraq's long-term economic growth "sends a strong message to other American and international investors that Iraq is truly ripe for investment."
One of the two companies teaming up with NAWAH is the New Jersey-based Triton Container International Ltd., which is the world's largest owner-lessor of marine cargo containers with operations in 15 countries and more than 200 depot locations worldwide. The other is the Chicago-based Marmon Crane Services, an international owner, operator and lessor of crane equipment that operates in 14 countries around the world.
NAWAH, which is based in Washington State and is chaired by Paul Brinkley, a former US Defense Department official who sought to attract companies to Iraq and Afghanistan.
Iraq's oil-reliant economy is expected to see significant growth in the coming year as it has awarded 15 oil and gas deals to international energy companies since 2008, the first major investments in the country's energy industry in more than three decades.
The original goal was to boost daily production from about 3 million barrels now to 12 million barrels by 2017. That may be revised downward to fewer than 10 million barrels, however, because of infrastructure bottlenecks and a possible falloff in demand on international markets.
Iraq signs deal to modernize Basra port
Iraq signs deal to modernize Basra port
New Murabba seeks contractors for Mukaab Towers fit-outs: MEED
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s New Murabba Development Co., a wholly owned subsidiary of the Public Investment Fund, has issued a request for information to gauge the market for modular and offsite fit-out solutions for its flagship Mukaab development, MEED reported on Wednesday.
The RFI was released on Jan. 26, with submissions due by Feb. 11. NMDC has also scheduled a market engagement meeting during the first week of February to discuss potential solutions with prospective contractors.
Sources close to the project told MEED that NMDC is “seeking experienced suppliers and contractors to advise on the feasibility, constraints, and execution strategy for using non-load-bearing modular systems for the four corner towers framing the Mukaab structure.” The feedback gathered from these discussions will be incorporated into later design and procurement decisions.
The four towers — two residential (North and South) and two mixed-use (East and West) — are integral to the Mukaab’s architectural layout. Each tower is expected to rise approximately 375 meters and span over 80 stories. Key modular elements under consideration include bathroom pods, kitchen pods, dressing room modules, panelized steel partition systems, and other offsite-manufactured fit-out solutions.
Early works on the Mukaab were completed last year, with NMDC preparing to award the estimated $1 billion contract for the main raft works. This was highlighted in a presentation by NMDC’s chief project delivery officer on Sept. 9, 2025, during the Future Projects Forum in Riyadh.
Earlier this month, US-based Parsons Corp. was awarded a contract by NMDC to provide design and construction technical support. Parsons will act as the lead design consultant for infrastructure, delivering services covering public buildings, infrastructure, landscaping, and the public realm at New Murabba. The firm will also support the development of the project’s downtown experience, which spans 14 million sq. meters of residential, workplace, and entertainment space.
The Parsons contract follows NMDC’s October 2025 agreements with three other US-based engineering firms for design work across the development. New York-headquartered Kohn Pedersen Fox was appointed to lead early design for the first residential community, while Aecom and Jacobs were selected as lead design consultants for the Mukaab district.
In August 2025, NMDC signed a memorandum of understanding with Falcons Creative Group, another US-based firm, to develop the creative vision and immersive experiences for the Mukaab project. Meanwhile, Beijing-based China Harbour Engineering Co. completed the excavation works for the Mukaab, and UAE-headquartered HSSG Foundation Contracting executed the foundation works.
