Basra Gateway Terminal (BGT), a multi-purpose cargo handling facility located at the Port of Umm Qasr in Iraq, welcomed the inaugural call of the RCL West India-Gulf (RWG) service last October.

The RWG service, jointly operated by the Regional Container Line (RCL) and Bengal Tiger Line (BTL), is expected to enhance the country’s trade connectivity by providing faster shipping routes to India and the Middle East.

BGT, a subsidiary of International Container Terminal Services (ICTSI), said the service features a 21-day turnaround time and strategically rotates through key ports: Mundra, Nhava Sheva, Jebel Ali, and Umm Qasr, before returning to Mundra.

"We are excited to welcome RCL and BTL as partners in advancing trade and connectivity in the region. The RWG service reinforces our commitment to providing world-class service and supporting Iraq’s role in the global trade network," said Romeo Salvador, BGT's chief executive officer.

RCL and BTL have each deployed a vessel to the service — the Vira Bhum and the Intersea Traveler. To ensure reliability, three vessels with capacities ranging from 2,500 to 2,700 TEUs will be deployed to the service.

In 2014, ICTSI signed a contract with the General Company for Ports in Iraq to manage, operate and rehabilitate terminal facilities in North Port Umm Qasr, Iraq and to develop and expand container handling capacity via new infrastructure development.