Najaf Solar Plant Capacity Could Double
By John Lee. Plans for a solar power station in Najaf province are under review, with discussions under way on potentially doubling the project's capacity from 1,000MW to 2,000MW. The proposed expansion also includes a battery energy storage system (BESS) component of 30%. According to Iraq's Ministry of Electricity, Minister Ali Saad Wahib met with […]
IMF Forecasts Bigger Contraction for Iraqi Economy
By John Lee. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has revised its forecasts, considering the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. According to its latest World Economic Outlook: "Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, and Qatar - commodity producers most affected by disruptions to energy output and transport - are projected to experience double-digit contractions of their economies in […]
Land Distribution Scheme Launched in Nineveh
By John Lee. Iraq has launched the executive phase of its "Watan Initiative" (Homeland Initiative) residential land programme in Nineveh province, allocating 110,000 residential plots as part of a broader national target of one million plots. Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi announced the launch on Monday, stating that the government's aim is to ensure that no […]
Investment Call for Mosul Airport Management
By John Lee. International airport management and operations companies have been invited to invest in and develop Mosul International Airport. Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi made the call during a visit to Mosul on Monday, describing the airport as an important gateway for Nineveh province and for Iraq more broadly. Al-Zaidi said the government is seeking […]
Iraq Customs Revenue up 32% Year-on-Year
By John Lee. Iraq's General Customs Authority recorded customs revenues of IQD 442.3 billion (USD 293 million) in September 2026, up from IQD 334.2 billion (USD 221 million) in the same month of 2025, an increase of IQD 108.1 billion (USD 72 million), or approximately 32%. The authority attributed the rise to improvements in customs […]
Iraqi Doctor Creates AI Healthcare Platform
By Padraig O'Hannelly. A Canadian-based Iraqi doctor has launched an agentic learning management system for healthcare education. Dr Fady Hannah-Shmouni (MD, FRCPC), an adjunct professor at the University of British Columbia, founded Perceptors AI together with Dr Omar Saleem and the GCLS AI Lab at the Geneva College of Longevity Science. He told Iraq Business […]
TotalEnergies and ConocoPhillips Meet Iraqi PM
By John Lee. Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has met the chief executives of TotalEnergies and ConocoPhillips to discuss oil and associated gas investment at the Nahr Bin Umar oil field in Basra province. The meetings, held on Sunday, included TotalEnergies CEO Patrick Pouyanné and ConocoPhillips CEO Andy O'Brien, along with their respective delegations. Discussions covered […]
Australian Businessman Freed After Five Years in Iraq
By John Lee. Robert Pether, the Irish-resident Australian businessman detained in Iraq for more than five years, has been released and has returned to Ireland. Speaking at Dublin Airport, Pether said: "There will be time to talk about what happened. Why it happened. Who was responsible. And why nobody should ever be allowed to do […]
Proposed Changes to Iraq's Investment Law
By John Lee. A parliamentary workshop has been held to discuss proposed amendments to Investment Law No. 13 of 2006. The session was convened by the Iraqi Council of Representatives' Investment and Development Committee, under the patronage of Deputy Speaker Adnan Fayhan. According to the National Investment Commission (NIC), the workshop was attended by members […]
Iraq and World Bank in Talks on Procurement Reforms
By John Lee. Iraq's Ministry of Planning has held talks with the World Bank on reforms to the government procurement system, including the development of electronic procurement and a roadmap to improve transparency and stability in government contracting. The meeting, chaired by Deputy Minister for Administrative Affairs Dr. Hana Ismail Al-Asadi, was attended by Sandeep […]
World Bank Discusses Support for Iraq's Electricity Sector
By John Lee. The World Bank has discussed expanded cooperation with Iraq's Ministry of Electricity, with a focus on priority projects to develop the country's power infrastructure. Osman Dione, World Bank Vice President for the Middle East and North Africa, met with Minister of Electricity Ali Saad Wahib at the ministry's headquarters on Wednesday. According […]
Russian Business Council "eyes Kurdistan as Gateway to Iraq"
From Rudaw. Any opinions expressed are those of the author(s), and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Russian Business Council Eyes Kurdistan as Gateway to Iraqi Market The Kurdistan Region is a gateway to the wider Iraqi market for Russian companies seeking to expand their presence in the country, the executive […]