A proposal was made by a major investment company and the construction phase was supposed to be completed, and the operation to be started by 2038.

Iraq hopes the port will create a shorter transportation corridor between the Middle East and Europe, bypassing the Suez Canal, through the eventual expansion of a national rail network.

[10][11] Construction of the initial five berths, as well as roads, and a tunnel to connect it to Um-Qasr port across the Khor-Al-Zubair waterway began.

In April 2024, during a visit to Baghdad by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a quadrilateral memorandum of understanding regarding cooperation in the Iraq Development Road project was signed between Iraq, Türkiye, Qatar, and the UAE, inked by the transportation ministers from each country.

[12][13][14][15] On 7 November 2024, a handover ceremony was held at the site of the Grand Faw Port, where the Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' Al Sudani announced the completion of the construction of the five initial berths, concluding the first phase of the construction of the planned 100 berths.