A groundbreaking infrastructure project is set to reshape regional connectivity: a tunnel stretching approximately 190 kilometers beneath the Gulf, linking northern Qatar to Iran’s coastline near Dayyer.
Qatar’s Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, who visited Tehran last Wednesday, reaffirmed his country’s commitment to the project, emphasizing its potential to enhance links between West Asia, the Caspian Sea, and the Mediterranean. The idea was first introduced during the late Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi’s visit to Qatar in February 2022, with progress contingent on feasibility studies and negotiations by a joint Qatari-Iranian committee.
During his meeting with Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, Sheikh Tamim confirmed that the committee would soon commence work, signaling Qatar’s serious intent to bring the project to fruition.
At nearly three times the length of China’s current longest transport tunnel—a 68 km section of the Chengdu metro—the Iran-Qatar tunnel would surpass all existing underwater and land-based tunnels. It would also be five times longer than the Channel Tunnel, which connects France and the UK over a 38 km stretch and remains the world’s most expensive construction project at $21 billion.
Despite the massive costs involved, Qatar’s substantial annual gas revenue—approximately $200 billion—positions it well to finance the project, even as Iran grapples with economic challenges due to sanctions.
For Qatar, the tunnel presents a strategic opportunity to access Eurasian markets via Iran. The emirate, like other Gulf states, currently relies on Saudi Arabia for land-based trade routes. Strengthening its position further, Qatar shares the North Field with Iran’s South Pars—the world’s largest natural gas field—and holds a 20% stake in Russia’s state-owned oil company Rosneft, underscoring its broader economic and geopolitical ambitions.
Beyond Qatar, the tunnel would create a crucial trade corridor, enabling Iran to connect more efficiently to African, Mediterranean, and European markets. It would also provide Saudi Arabia with a direct route to Central Asia, Russia, and China. By bypassing Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon, Iran could reach the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean, securing an alternative trade route to Europe.
If realized, the Iran-Qatar tunnel project could significantly reshape regional dynamics, strengthening Qatar’s global trade ties while bringing substantial economic, political, and security benefits to both nations.
(Source: PressTV)
