ASSESSING THE COMPETITIVENESS OF IRAQ’S LOGISTIC CORRIDORS THROUGH MULTIMODAL TRANSPORT AND SWOT FRAMEWORK

Abstract

Multimodal transport in Iraq is one of the most important sectors that Iraq has recently focused on. It also works to improve the logistics of various types of transport corridors: sea, land, and rail, within the framework of international trade systems. However, multimodal transport in Iraq faces many challenges, weaknesses, and threats that affect this pivotal sector of the Iraqi economy. This is despite Iraq's strengths, whether in its geographical location, oil reserves, or labor, as well as several advanced seaports, most notably the Grand Faw Port, a qualitative leap in the Iraqi seaport sector. Furthermore, the paper analyzes the means and possibilities of future connectivity between Iraq and several countries in the Middle East and Europe via the development road linking Iraq to Turkey, making trade between Iraq and Europe more fluid. The research paper attempts to present the various modes of transport in Iraq, while conducting a SWOT analysis of the internal and external environment, the status of multimodal transport in Iraq, and its most important obstacles. It also comes up with several recommendations that help raise the efficiency of multimodal transport in Iraq and maximize its productivity at all levels.