Baghdad: Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani emphasized the importance of the Development Road project for Iraq’s future.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani chaired a meeting of the Higher Committee for the Development Road project on Monday. The meeting was attended by the Ministers of Transport and Industry, the Executive Director of the Iraq Development Fund, several advisors to the Prime Minister, directors general, and representatives from the consulting firms KBR and Oliver Wyman.

The statement added that the meeting addressed the selection of the auditing firm and its proposed timelines for completing the audit of the railway and road designs. Discussions also covered the design costs for the railway and road lines, as well as the operational plans submitted by Oliver Wyman and BTP.

The Prime Minister directed that the best plan be selected and a comprehensive summary presented at the next meeting. He emphasized the need to finalize the options under discussion, noting the project’s importance for Iraq’s future and the necessity of proceeding with and intensifying work with specialists to complete its requirements.

The statement continued, “The meeting reviewed the progress rates of all components of the Strategic Development Road project, as well as the legal mechanisms, presented by Iraqi specialists and KBR Consulting, for the joint management contract with Abu Dhabi Ports to operate the Grand Faw Port. Oliver Wyman also provided a detailed explanation of the principles for launching the third phase to support the implementation of the development road’s contractual requirements, following the company’s completion of the previous two phases.”