Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – Iraq has registered over 5,000 international transit operations since March 2025, with Iraqi trucks now transporting products from Saudi Arabia to Central Asia via the Arar border crossing, as Baghdad looks to benefit from its location between the Gulf, Turkey, and Asian markets.
The General Company for Land Transport, which is part of Iraq’s Transport Ministry, said that Iraqi trucks are now engaging in transit operations under the international TIR customs system for the first time.
Previously, foreign trucks carried the majority of transit commodities over Iraqi territory.
The arrangement allows Iraqi transport businesses a more direct involvement in international freight and provides Baghdad with another possible non-oil cash stream.
A particularly major route starts in Saudi Arabia and enters Iraq via the Arar border before heading north to Central Asian markets.
The Saudi-Iraq land corridor has gained importance as a result of disruptions to shipping via the Strait of Hormuz during the Iran-US war.
The crisis revealed Iraq’s reliance on Gulf sea routes, emphasizing the necessity of dependable overland commerce and logistical options.
Iraq’s position allows it to act as a land bridge linking Saudi Arabia and the broader Gulf to Turkey, Europe, and Central Asia, rather than simply as an end market for imported commodities.
The TIR system is important to that goal.
The IRU manages it globally under a United Nations customs agreement, which lets sealed goods move through many countries with the same customs documents and guarantees, reducing the need for repeated inspections and delays.
Iraq officially implemented TIR in April 2025, and the IRU has since reported fast-expanding transit movements and new routes linking Gulf nations to Turkey and beyond.
According to transportation authorities, Baghdad is also developing deals with Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria, Iran, and Turkey to further incorporate Iraq into international supply chains.
The concept supports the much broader Development Road initiative, which intends to link southern Iraq to Turkey and Europe via new road and rail infrastructure.
Baghdad’s immediate importance is economic. Every extra vehicle that crosses Iraqi territory produces activity for customs, transportation, logistics, fuel, and supporting services, as well as prospects for Iraqi trucking enterprises.
With marine interruptions highlighting the dangers of depending too heavily on Hormuz, Iraq’s burgeoning land links, notably via Saudi Arabia’s Arar crossing, might become an increasingly important aspect of the country’s drive to diversify trade channels and earn cash other than oil.