# Umm Qasr (IQ UQR)

**UN/LOCODE:** IQ UQR  
**Country:** Iraq  
**Water Body:** Persian Gulf; Indian Ocean  
**Harbor Size:** Small  
**Harbor Type:** River (Natural)  
**GPS:** 30.0167, 47.9500

Three terminal operators share Iraq's busiest container gateway: ICTSI runs the Basra Gateway Terminal, while the Basra Multipurpose Terminal and Gulftainer's Iraq Container Terminal handle the remaining boxes. Umm Qasr moved roughly 1.5 million TEU in 2023, far more than any other Iraqi port, across some 21 berths and around 5,000 metres of quay. Beyond containers, the port handles breakbulk, project cargo and dry bulk, making it the principal maritime entry point for goods bound for Baghdad and southern Iraq. It is also Iraq's main customs clearance point; electronic customs platforms are in use, though clearance is widely regarded as slow and paperwork-heavy. Hinterland distribution relies chiefly on road links to Baghdad, supported by a limited rail connection and no meaningful inland waterway. A channel and berth depth of about 11 to 12 metres accommodates mid-sized container vessels but not the largest ships, so a large share of Iraqi cargo is transhipped via hubs such as Jebel Ali. For bulk and heavy-industry consignments, nearby Khor al-Zubair is the better fit, while Jebel Ali or the Kuwaiti ports of Shuaiba and Shuwaikh serve pure transhipment needs. Reefer, dangerous-goods and project cargoes are handled, but capacity trails the major Gulf ports.

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