Iraq’s national maritime carrier, Iraqi Line, is scheduled to resume commercial shipping in the Persian Gulf on October 15, following an interruption of more than 50 years, the Ministry of Transport announced on October 5.
The first voyage will sail from Jebel Ali Port in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to Umm Qasr Port in Iraq. The carrier is also known as the Iraqi Maritime Line.
The ministry said the service would provide a national option for transporting containers and other goods, with the aim of increasing cargo movement through Iraqi ports and supporting trade with regional countries.
The ministry dates the last voyages by Iraqi cargo ships in the region to the mid-1960s.
The planned return follows separate UAE–Iraq service announcements by other operators. Gulftainer announced a dedicated UAE–Iraq feeder service through its shipping arm, GT Lines, in July 2026, linking Umm Qasr with UAE gateways.
Gulftainer said the service combines its vessels with Iraq Commercial Terminal and the Umm Qasr Logistics Centre.
In another separate development, DP World announced a 36-hour Dubai–Umm Qasr Ro-Ro service in December 2025, connecting Mina Rashid in Dubai with the Iraqi port. Weekly operations were scheduled to start that month.
The vessel selected for that service, the 166.75-metre DP World Express, has capacity for up to 145 accompanied trailers per sailing.