Beneath the Shatt al-Arab: Iraq's Immersed Tunnel Breaks New Ground in Middle East Engineering

Iraq has reached a major milestone in its historic infrastructure journey with the ongoing construction of the Basra Immersed Tunnel—an engineering first for the Middle East. As part of the broader Al Faw Grand Port development, the tunnel is set to transform Iraq’s maritime and logistical landscape by connecting the Faw Peninsula with the Umm Qasr area through an underwater corridor. Once complete, this 2.4-kilometer immersed tunnel will lie beneath the Shatt al-Arab waterway and link the port to an international highway, supporting the flow of goods between Asia and Europe.

The tunnel’s design comprises ten segments, each 126 meters long and weighing 45,000 tonnes. Constructed in a dry dock, each segment is equipped with advanced balance and guidance systems. Once ready, these massive structures are floated, towed, and precisely submerged 23 meters beneath the surface of the Khor Al-Zubair navigation channel. With two segments now installed, 441 meters of tunnel have been completed. The submerged installation demands meticulous alignment—a challenge made possible through the use of GPS tracking, flotation systems, and real-time surveying.

The Basra Immersed Tunnel is more than a technical feat—it represents Iraq’s vision for economic revitalization and connectivity. Part of the Al Faw Grand Port, which is expected to handle 25 million containers annually, the tunnel underscores the country’s emerging role in global supply chains. This initiative blends local expertise with international engineering collaboration, showcasing how regional infrastructure can evolve through innovation, precision, and ambition.

Explore the following video detailing the submerged tunnel’s construction, when it was at a reached 60% completion.