BAGHDAD, December 3 (RIA Novosti) - An Iraqi transport ministry delegation is discussing in Rome a project to build a giant port on the coast of the Persian Gulf, Iraqi media reported on Wednesday.
Iraq, which has a Persian Gulf coastline of less than 100 kilometers (60 miles), has so far only one deep sea commercial port, Umm Qasr.
According to the project, the port will be based in Al-Fao, a seaside town in the estuary of the Shatt al-Arab river. It will also have a number of first-class hotels and will be linked to the country's road network by a high-speed motorway.
The estimated value of the project is $20 billion. The tender for the construction of the port has yet to be officially announced.
