Winners of the international competition are London-based architectural firm Assemblage, with their design concept that focuses on the creation of a community for 3,000 people, include residential buildings, infrastructure, schools, markets, healthcare centres and playing fields.

The designers have been very sensitive in the creation of their concept, and have included lush and aesthetically pleasing green spaces into the community setting in order to encourage environmental consciousness and harmony.

The planning and layout aspects of the project have also been implemented after serious consideration. Safety has been a key focus, so clever vehicle parking and pedestrian areas have been included. The surrounding landscaped areas will be shaded and pedestrian friendly to promote a sense of community and encourage outdoor interaction.

All of the materials and labour used for the construction will come directly from the local industry.

What is important to note is the care in which the development plan has been designed. Unlike many countries that treat low income housing as a throw away construction project, the architects have used advanced design systems and features in order to create a world-class development.

In addition to the use of the local labour force and materials as social and economical sustainable features, these low cost buildings will also include the use of environmentally sustainable design aspects that have been described by the architects as “rivalling western standards”.

While the full extent of these aspects are as yet to be released, there can be no doubting the commitment that this design and its designers are showing towards helping create a durable and worthwhile living space for Iraqis.

The project is set to begin construction later this year.

(Source: Design Build Source, Assemblage)

Kareem Tamimi, a spokesman for the ministry, said the deal was brokered initially two years ago, but did not mention the name of the company.

The French company will deliver one helicopter every three months, to train Ministry’s personnel and pilots to operate and work with the helicopters and to provide spare parts for them.

(Source: AKnews)

Shilan Khanaqa, Kurdistan Region’s representative to the United Arab Emirates told AKnews that the two-day conference will be held under the auspices of the Dubai Emirate and Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

No exact date was mentioned, but officials from Kurdistan, including ministers for tourism, and trade and industry, heads of investment boards and chambers of commerce, as well as a considerable number of Kurdish businessmen are expected to attend.

The conference will spotlight the high security and stability in Kurdistan to attract more investors, Khanaqaa added.

(Source: AKnews)

The 560 homes will be built on an 82-acre site close to the famed waterfall cascades in northern Mosul, in a joint-effort by Iraqiya and Andalusia Construction Companies.

Nineveh’s Governor, Athil Nujaifi, said the project will be completed by the beginning of 2013.

The companies recently completed the construction of a compound in Hadba, which includes 65 buildings, each containing three flats.

(Source: AKnews)

Please click here to download a table of listed companies and their associated ticker codes.

Note: There will be no trading session in the ISX on Sunday, February 5, 2012, due to the religious holiday in Iraq (Maulad al Nabawi/ Birth of Prophet). The next session will be held on Monday, February 6, 2012.

The RSISX index ended the week at ID1,371 / $1,504, +3.4% (weekly change). The number of weekly traded shares was 6.5 bn and the weekly trading volume was ID10.5bn ($8.9mn).

ISX Company Announcements

• Mosul Bank (BMFI) will hold AGM on February 19, 2012 to discuss 2011 annual financial reports, cash dividend ratio and capital increase to reach 100bn through rights and bonus issues.

For the full RS Weekly Bulletin in PDF go to:  www.rabeesecurities.com.

According to the Philippine Star, the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) chief Hans Cacdac said the agency’s governing board has approved a resolution halting the deployment to Iraq.

“Until the security conditions have normalized, a total ban is imposed and thus processing and deployment to Iraq is hereby suspended”.

With the re-imposition of total ban, he said, the POEA would stop processing and deployment of Filipino workers, including those already employed in US military facilities in Iraq.

Late last year, the POEA allowed OFWs working in US military facilities in Iraq and Afghanistan to finish their employment contracts and take a vacation back home and return to their jobs.

Cacdac said the POEA governing board re-imposed a total ban following the decision of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to raise the alert level in Iraq to 3 due to escalating hostilities there.

Labor Undersecretary Danilo Cruz said the POEA automatically imposes a total deployment to countries placed under alert level 3.

The ban does not cover the Iraqi Kurdistan region.

Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said there are about 2,000 Filipinos currently employed in Iraq, and they are being encouraged to avail of the government’s voluntary repatriation.

(Source: Philippine Star)

The four attackers, some of whom wore military uniforms, held guns to the heads of security guards late on Thursday and planted four large explosives in a building housing routing and switching equipment, Asiacell chief executive Diar Ahmed said.

“One of [the devices] exploded and caused severe damage to the network. The other three were dismantled,” Ahmed said. “It’s a partial outage in (Nineveh) province but it’s the majority to be honest.”

The centre, located in a normally safe area in a Mosul free trade zone, just 60-70 metres from a police station, serves Nineveh province and parts of neighbouring Dahuk. Work crews hoped to restore service later on Friday.

Ahmed said he suspected the al Qaeda-affiliated insurgent group Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) was behind the attack. Mosul is considered an al Qaeda stronghold.

“The ISI has threatened our offices and our employees in Mosul many, many times because we work with the government,” he said.

There were no reported injuries.

(Source: Bloomberg)

Jordanian Energy Ministry spokesman Fayez Abu Gaoud told the agency, “if it is proven that the volume of gas in the field is feasible for commercial purposes, the development of the gas field will begin immediately”.

Initial BP studies show that production at Risha could exceed 330 million cubic feet a day.

BP agreed in October 2009 to join Jordan’s state-owned National Petroleum Co. to explore and develop Risha, which occupies an area of about 7,000 square kilometers (2,700 square miles). The kingdom has agreed with Iraq to jointly develop the Risha field, Iraqi State Minister Ali al-Dabbagh said last March.

Jordan, which fills almost all of its energy needs through imports, hopes to attract $14 billion of investments for renewable energy, oil shale and nuclear power.

(Source: Bloomberg)