DP World Launches 36-Hour Dubai-Iraq RoRo Vessel Service

Dubai’s DP World has officially launched a new weekly maritime roll-on/roll-off (Ro-Ro) service linking the UAE with Iraq, cutting transit time to just 36 hours and offering a faster, more reliable alternative to traditional overland trucking routes.

The service operates between Mina Rashid in Dubai and Umm Qasr Port in Iraq, using the dedicated Ro-Ro vessel DP World Express.

With capacity for up to 145 accompanied trailers per sailing, it allows drivers to remain on board for the full journey, providing a seamless, door-to-door logistics solution for non-containerised freight.

The launch event at Mina Rashid brought together senior officials from both the UAE and Iraq, including Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Group Chairman & CEO of DP World, and Iraq’s Ambassador to the UAE. The vessel was recently refurbished at Drydocks World and is set to begin regular operations this month.

By bypassing lengthy overland border crossings that can take over 10 days, the service is expected to cut costs, improve reliability and enhance supply chain predictability for businesses trading between the Gulf and Iraq.

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His Excellency Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Group Chairman and CEO, DP World, said: “Our new Dubai-Iraq service will establish a faster and more efficient maritime bridge between Iraq and the UAE to help trade flow across the Middle East.

"This service gives customers a predictable route that reduces time, cost and complexity and supports long-term economic opportunity on both sides of the corridor.”

Beyond speed and efficiency, the route promises environmental benefits by shifting freight from road to sea, which typically lowers carbon emissions.

DP World also highlighted the broader strategic value of the corridor, which strengthens access to central Iraq’s commercial hubs and supports onward connections into neighbouring markets.

On the return trip, DP World Express will carry Iraqi exports back to the UAE, boosting two-way trade flows and reinforcing the company’s role in enhancing maritime logistics in the Middle East.

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