The route combines road transport with a newly introduced RoRo shipping service between the Iraqi port of Umm Qasr and Dubai, operated by DP World, and is reported to reduce total transit time between Türkiye and the United Arab Emirates to around six days in both directions.
According to the International Road Transport Union (IRU), the sea crossing between Umm Qasr and Dubai takes approximately 36 hours. The service uses RoPax vessels, allowing drivers to remain with their vehicles during the maritime leg of the journey.
Several Turkish transport operators have already tested the route. Ahmet Sarı, owner of Sarıtaş Lojistik, said the corridor could support faster and more secure freight movements across the region. Another operator, Trans 63, said the service could improve predictability in cross-border logistics.
The IRU said the corridor highlights Iraq’s growing role as a transit country connecting Türkiye with Gulf markets. Erman Ereke, the organisation’s general delegate in Istanbul, described the route as a step towards deeper trade facilitation between Türkiye and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region.
The new service is open to all cargo types and is expected to provide additional routing options for traders operating between Türkiye, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates, at a time when transport operators are increasingly seeking alternatives to traditional corridors.
