New Iraqi TIR Route "a Game-Changer" for Europe-GCC Logistics
By John Lee.
The opening of new Iraqi TIR corridors has enabled a dramatic reduction in transit times between Europe and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), with journey durations cut from 24 days to just 10, according to a press release from the International Road Transport Union (IRU).
Polish logistics company Milton Group recently completed a round-trip from Poland to the UAE using Iraq's overland TIR transit system.
Carrying yacht engines and spare parts, the truck travelled through Poland, Bulgaria, Türkiye, Iraq, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia before reaching the UAE. The return leg to Poland was also completed overland, maintaining the 10-day timeframe for each direction.
The route passed into Iraq through the Ibrahim Al-Khalil border and exited via Traibeel [Terbil], highlighting Iraq's emergence as a strategic land bridge for trade between Europe and the GCC.
The corridor was made fully operational three months ago, with support from IRU members General Company for Land Transportation (GCLT) and Transforat. It forms part of Iraq's wider ambition to become a regional logistics and trade hub.
Milton Group COO Waleed Kassem called the development " a game changer, " noting substantial time savings and enhanced logistics resilience by avoiding congested seaports.
IRU Secretary General Umberto de Pretto praised Iraq's efforts, saying this new connectivity offers " faster and more secure journey times " and greater resilience amid regional uncertainties.
See our Comprehensive Guide to Logistics in Iraq here.
Full statement from the International Road Transport Union (IRU):
From Europe to the GCC: New resilient Iraqi TIR routes slash journey times
With Iraq now fully operational in the TIR system, new faster and more flexible transport routes are opening between Europe and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region. One example: from Poland to the United Arab Emirates in 10 days, more than halving the traditional 24-day journey.
Polish transport operator the Milton Group has successfully completed a roundtrip journey linking Poland to the GCC entirely by road, via Iraq's newly operational TIR corridors, with a journey time of 10 days compared to 24 days for traditional maritime-based multimodal routes.
The truck, with two drivers, transported yacht engines and spare parts from a Polish factory through the EU to Bulgaria, then through Türkiye, Iraq, Jordan and Saudi Arabia before arriving at the customer's facility in the UAE.
With the support of IRU members GCLT and Transforat and other partners, TIR corridors in Iraq became fully operational three months ago, reinforcing the country's aim to become a strategic regional logistics and trade hub.
Milton, already experienced in multimodal routes between Europe and the Middle East, has been among the first companies to test the new road links. In this case, the trucks entered Iraq from Türkiye via the Ibrahim Al-Khalil border crossing and exited to Jordan via Traibeel.
The results were striking: the full road journey took just 10 days, compared to the 24 days typically required for a multimodal route.
To further enhance the economic viability of the trip, Milton organised a return load from the UAE back to Poland, completing the roundtrip within the same timeframe.
Milton Group Chief Operating Officer Waleed Kassem said, "This new inland TIR transit corridor through Iraq is a game changer for trade between Europe and the Middle East.
"By bypassing congested seaports and offering a fully overland route, we've already reduced our door-to-door transit time from 24 days to just 10, a tremendous improvement.
"We see a huge opportunity in the development of this corridor and are proud to have taken part. At Milton, we look forward to scaling this route into a core pillar of efficient, secure, and time-sensitive logistics to the GCC region."
IRU Secretary General Umberto de Pretto said, "It is truly inspiring to witness the successful launch of this new TIR route through Iraq, seeing the fruits of years of preparations and planning by the Iraqi authorities come to life.
"This marks only the beginning of what promises to be a landmark development for resilient regional connectivity across the Middle East via Iraq, not only providing faster and more secure journey times, but offering significantly more route flexibility and resilience to transport and logistics operators to better manage regional uncertainty."
TIR is the only globally recognised trade facilitation tool, backed by the UN TIR convention and managed by IRU, ensuring the seamless, secure and cost-effective transit of goods across international borders.
(Source: IRU)
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