Can a UAE-backed Syria-Iraq corridor become Gulf's next trade route?
On June 26, Emirati and Syrian officials discussed plans for a logistics corridor connecting Syrian ports to Gulf markets via Iraq.
Abu Dhabi and Damascus are advancing plans for a trade corridor linking Syrian ports to Iraq and the Gulf, underscoring Abu Dhabi's growing investment ambitions in post-Assad Syria.
Emirati and Syrian officials met June 26 to discuss a corridor linking Syria's Mediterranean ports with Iraq's Umm Qasr and the UAE's Khalifa Port, alongside investment opportunities in ports, free zones and a proposed logistics hub at the al-Tanf border crossing, according to the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).
Experts told Al-Monitor the proposal could reshape regional trade routes, but only if Syria can overcome major political, security and infrastructure challenges.
What happened: Qutaiba Badawi, chairman of Syria's General Authority for Land and Sea Ports, met a UAE delegation that included Charge d'Affaires Abdul Hakeem al-Nuaimi and Mohammed Al Menhali, regional CEO of AD Ports Group, to discuss the proposed corridor.
