Iraq – Transport Minister announces completion of underwater tunnel’s first stage

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Location: Basrah – Iraq

Language: Arabic

Duration: 00:04:11

Voice: Natural

Source: A24

Restriction: A24 clients

Dateline: 19-2-2022

Storyline:

With the pour of ten 250-meter-long concrete slabs, the Iraqi Minister of Transport, Nasser Al-Shibli, announced the completion of the tunnel basin, the first stage of Middle East’s largest underwater tunnel project. During his inspection tour of Al-Faw Port, Al-Shibli praised the working group efforts including the South Korean Daewoo E&C Company and Italian consulting company. The minister said the tunnel is one of three vital projects that were signed in 2019; however, the implementation was halted in 2020 due to pandemic ramifications. Meanwhile, the director of General Company for Ports of Iraq, Farhan Al-Fartousi said that the stage of pouring reinforced concrete blocks of the 2.5-kilometer tunnel will begin after conducting a final test for this one. Region’s first of its kind two-way tunnel in Khor Al-Zubair Port in Basra will link Faw Grand Port’s 63 km road to the international line passing through Umm Qasr, facilitating cargo movement.

Shotlist:

Soundbite (Nasser Hussein Al-Shibli, Minister of Transport):

“We are at one of the three projects signed in 2019. This project was signed in October 2019 and the implementation started in February 2020; however, it was stopped due to the pandemic. This is a huge work. The ten submerged concrete slabs will be poured in ten places. This underwater tunnel is the first of its kind in the Middle East. It is implemented with great efforts from South Korean Daewoo E&C Company under the supervision of Iraqi Ports company. This project will be the first step towards the Great Port of Faw that will complete within a period of 3 years and 6 months.”

Soundbite (Farhan Al-Fartousi – Director General of the General Company for Ports of Iraq GCPI):

“Today, the Minister of Transport is present to announce, together with the company’s management, the 100% completion of the tunnel’s basin. Our cadres along with the Italian consulting company and Daewoo cadres are conducting the final examinations and testing for this stage. Then the next stage of pouring concrete blocks (reinforced concrete) will begin, through which the 2.4-kilometer tunnel will be constructed.”

Soundbite (Anmar Al-Safi – Director of Media and Public Relations at the GCPI)

“The underwater tunnel extends under the Khor Al-Zubair Canal, which links the 63 km road of the Faw Grand Port to the international line passing through Umm Qasr and vice versa. It will facilitate the movement of cargo since it is the first road to link between the port and international line.”

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