The State Company for Iraqi Ports is seeking international groups to run berths 4,5, and 6 at Umm Qasr’s southern port for three years.

At the same time, the national ports regulator has opened talks with foreign port operators to overhaul facilities and build new capacity at the port.

The US Cornell Group was provisionally selected to oversee the development of Umm Qasr late last year, but it has since emerged that the Iraqi Transport Ministry declined to finalise a contract award (MEED 22:12:08).

One berth at the site has been leased to the French shipping group CMA CGM on a one-year contract from mid-September (MEED 16:10:08).