Umm Qasr Port is situated on the Khor Abdullah Channel, which is a key commercial waterway and is Iraq’s only entrance to the Gulf. All cargo traffic enters through the channel, however, the channel is split down the middle, sharing a maritime border with both Kuwait and Iraq.
The distance from Iraq’s shoreline to the maritime border is 5km and gets narrower passing Warbah Island. It further decreases in size as shipping vessels arrive at the Um Qasr Port posing significant navigation hazards. The existing unlit steel navigation buoys along the channel required urgent modernization to ensure safe passage for mariners.
The General Company for Ports of Iraq (GCPI) is responsible for managing and operating the ports in the country. They identified the need to update the channel buoys and provide a clearly lit passage while meeting requirements, local conditions, and budget.