Gulftainer (GT) has launched its first dedicated feeder service connecting the UAE and Umm Qasr, Iraq.
The new route, operated by the company’s shipping arm GT Lines, links Umm Qasr directly to UAE gateways and onward to regional and global logistics hubs.
It combines GT Lines’ own vessels with Gulftainer’s existing assets, Iraq Commercial Terminal and the Umm Qasr Logistics Centre (UQLC), to form what the company describes as an integrated trade corridor between Iraq, the UAE, and wider international markets.
The UQLC, located adjacent to the Iraq Commercial Terminal, is central to the platform. Together, the terminal, the logistics centre and GT Lines create a combined maritime and logistics operation offering warehousing, container storage, cargo consolidation, customs facilitation and other value-added services aimed at improving cargo flows and supply chain resilience in Iraq.
READ: Gulftainer launches India-Gulf express to enhance trade
Farid Belbouab, Group CEO of Gulftainer, said: “17 years ago, Gulftainer built Iraq’s first modern container terminal. Today, we are taking the next step by connecting the UAE and Umm Qasr with our own GT Lines vessels. This is not just a new route. It is an integrated corridor that gives Iraqi businesses the certainty and reliability they need to trade with confidence.”
The service is positioned as a strategic trade corridor rather than a standalone shipping route, reinforcing Iraq’s role as a gateway linking the Gulf, the Levant and Asia.
Gulftainer said the route is intended to improve cargo visibility and offer more predictable market access for Iraqi traders, connecting them to East Asia, the Indian Subcontinent, Africa and beyond.
Belbouab added: “Iraq’s trade and logistics needs have grown beyond what a terminal alone can deliver. This dedicated service represents the next phase of our long-term partnership with Iraq’s ports authority to support Iraq’s economic growth and communities.”
For more information:
Gulftainer – https://www.gulftainer.com/
