The contract calls for the dredging and removal of more than 12 million cubic metres of silt that has built up in the approach channel. The project is a continuation of the emergency dredging work carried out by the UNDP last year.

Rehabilitating and upgrading transport infrastructure in the southern region around Umm Qasr has been a priority for both UNDP and the US Agency for International Development (USAID). The vast majority of aid to Iraq passes through the port and the authorities are keen to increase the facility's capacity and reduce unloading times. The port is managed by the Iraqi Ports Authority, which assumed control in the summer.