The General Company for Iraqi Ports, led by Director General Farhan Al‑Fartousi, announced that the infrastructure phase of the Grand Faw Port is nearing completion and that an international operator will soon be selected to implement the superstructure.
The company also plans to adopt a global system for monitoring ship traffic within Iraqi territorial waters.
Al‑Fartousi told the Iraqi News Agency (INA) that Gerardine Delanoe, a representative of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), had met with the Italian consultant responsible for defining technical specifications for navigational markers in the Faw Port channel.
He emphasized that international navigation standards regulated by the IMO are being followed.
He added that the meetings were “very positive,” and that an IMO maritime consultant based in London will return to Iraq in November.
The Ports Company will deploy an integrated system of buoys and sensors to guide safe navigation in and out of Faw Port.
The system will feature runway‑style lighting to enhance visibility in fog and humidity. Due to the deeper draft and larger vessels, marker spacing will be reduced to 1.5–2 nautical miles, instead of the 3‑mile spacing used in the Khor Abdullah Canal.
Al‑Fartousi also revealed that two platforms will be installed near the breakwater to monitor wind speed, wave height, and tides, providing real‑time data to support navigation.
Furthermore, the company is moving forward with a global vessel‑monitoring system to better control sea lanes within Iraqi territorial waters.
General Company for Ports of Iraq (GCPI) GCPI is a state‑owned enterprise under Iraq’s Ministry of Transportation, responsible for managing the nation's ports and navigation channels. Founded in 1919, it oversees Umm Qasr, Khor Al‑Zubair, Al‑Maqal and Abu Flous ports.