Al Farahidi corridor for global south connectivity

Walking through the bustling streets, universities, coffee shops and museums of Baghdad leaves a lasting impression. The city breathes generosity, knowledge and civility, qualities accumulated over thousands of years of civilisation, from the Sumerians, Akkadians, Assyrians and Babylonians to the Abbasids and Ottomans, and now embodied in the modern Republic of Iraq.
Oman and Iraq share a bond that stretches back more than three millennia. They are two of the oldest continuously standing political entities in the Arabian Gulf, bound by cultural and economic ties that enriched humanity with language, literature and resources such as copper. This shared heritage is not abstract, it lives in the warmth and dignity of the Iraqi people.
I still recall getting lost on my way to the Iraq Museum until a gentle traffic officer stopped traffic to personally guide me. On many occasions, Iraqis I had just met refused to accept payment, whether for a taxi ride, a social gathering, or a meal of delicious masgouf fish, because, as they insisted, I was “their guest.” Iraq has a way of making one feel at home.
This hospitality echoes the legacy of Al Khalil ibn Ahmad al Farahidi, the Omani-Iraqi scholar who transformed Arabic grammar and pioneered the science of Al A’rudh, which codified Arabic poetry. His work helped diverse communities communicate during the golden age of Islamic civilisation. Today, his intellectual spirit lives on in Iraqi students, professors, and officials who continue the tradition of the Abbasid House of Wisdom, established nearly 1300 years ago as one of history’s most influential centres of learning.
That legacy is now meeting a modern opportunity. In my hometown of Salalah, under the patronage of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik and the Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al Sudani, who is one of the most visionary and pragmatic leaders I met, Oman and Iraq signed comprehensive agreements and Memorandums of Understanding. These agreements lay the foundation for a sustainable economic corridor, one that reaffirms Iraq’s role as a cradle of civilisation and Oman’s role as a bridge-builder of peace and prosperity.
This vision is timely. Globally, two major trade initiatives dominate the geopolitical landscape: China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the US Zangezur Corridor. Both are ambitious, yet both reflect the competing priorities of superpowers. Oman and Iraq can offer something different: A sustainable, participatory corridor rooted in the values of the Global South and inspired by centuries of cultural and economic exchange.
Such a vision could be aptly called the Al Farahidi Corridor, honouring the scholar who symbolises the intellectual and linguistic bridges between Oman and Iraq. Far from being a new invention, this would continue an ancient tradition. Interestingly, exactly one thousand years after the establishment of the House of Wisdom in Baghdad, 1775, Imam Ahmad bin Said al Busaidy, founder of Oman’s ruling dynasty, answered the calls of officials in Iraq and dispatched a naval fleet led by the ship Al Rahmani to break the long siege of Basra imposed by Karim Khan Zand, ruler of Iran. That decisive act restored Basra’s position as a major regional trading hub connected to the Shatt Al Arab and reaffirmed Oman’s commitment to protecting shared prosperity.
Today, the world is strained by trade wars, rivalries and protectionism that undermine global growth. In this environment, the voices of Oman and Iraq stand out for their wisdom and pragmatism. By leveraging their historical connectivity, cultural depth and mutual respect, the two nations can lead by example, demonstrating that corridors can be instruments not of conflict, but of peace, dignity and shared progress.
The Al Farahidi Corridor is more than an economic project. It is a reminder that civilisations prosper not by isolating themselves, but by opening doors, exchanging ideas and safeguarding one another’s futures. Oman and Iraq, by reviving this ancient partnership, can inspire the world to see that connectivity and cooperation remain the surest paths to prosperity.