The demonstrations seen throughout Iraq over the past two weeks have so far had no discernable effect on the ISX. As of February 24, the RSISX index had risen 19% year-to-date to a new high for the year. Iraq is now the region’s top performer. This strong performance is not hard to understand. In contrast […]
Friday, billed as a 'day of rage' in Iraq, saw protests throughout the country despite Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki urging people to not participate in the protests for security reasons. Baghdad: The center of the city was 'virtually locked down' on Friday. Demonstrators trying to get across a bridge going from the square to the […]
The United Nations has prepared a comprehensive Briefing Book on Iraq, and presented it to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. The book is comprised of two parts: The first part addresses key policy issues, including: macroeconomic challenges, development planning and prioritization, governance and public sector reform, anti-corruption, private sector development, social protection and the challenges of […]
By Marko Lukic. Iraq's once easy-going visa regime has tightened up, leading to protests from foreign ambassadors. In early 2010, the visa process to enter Iraq was both liberal and easily accessible, taking only around 24 to 72 hours to go through the relevant procedures and paperwork. Officials were so flexible in fact, that expats […]
By T. Keyzom Ngodup, co-founder and Executive Director at Ideas sYnergy, an Iraq based private sector development consulting company. Recent demonstrations across the country in Sulimaniya, Kirkuk, Basra, Kut and other provinces are indicative of the growing disenchantment among the youth who are often jobless or underemployed despite Iraq’s tremendous oil and gas resources. According […]
Overview Violence continues to creep up in Iraq. As illustrated in this week’s map of incidents, even Kurdistan has not been spared, with a series of protests taking place in urban areas around the region. Indeed the whole country is being rocked by unrest, with a series of demonstrations planned for Friday morning. Personnel should […]
With popular uprisings sweeping across the Middle East in recent weeks, Iraq too has seen its share of protests, but the focus here is different. Rather than trying to bring down the (elected) government, the people are expressing their anger at problems such as unemployment, sub-standard public services, scarcity of food, and the corruption and […]
Fluor Corporation has announced that ExxonMobil Iraq Limited has awarded the firm an early works program contract for the West Qurna (Phase I) field near Basra, Iraq. The engineering, procurement, construction and management contract is a reimbursable continuing services agreement for oil field and related infrastructure development with an expected duration of three years. Fluor […]
WesternZagros Resources has announced its intention to raise C$40 million in a brokered private placement of common shares. The funds will be raised through a syndicate of agents led by TD Securities Inc. and Scotia Capital Inc. (the "Agents") on an overnight-marketed best efforts basis (the "Offering"). WesternZagros has also granted the Agents an option […]
Iraq's Electricity Ministry has announced that 11 international companies presented investment projects under the first licensing round to develop the electricity sector in the country. The Iraqi government set February 10th as the deadline for receiving offers under this first licensing round. Musab al-Mudarres, the spokesman of the Electricity ministry told AKnews that the award […]
Two former directors and a sales manager of engineering firm Mabey & Johnson Ltd have been sentenced today for providing kickbacks to the Iraqi government of Saddam Hussein. Charles Forsyth, David Mabey and Richard Gledhill inflated the contract price for the supply of steel bridges and disguised illegal payments that were channelled through Jordanian banks. […]
A governmental legal advisor has said that the Council of Ministers agreed to an 80% reduction in the salaries of the three presidencies, according to a report from AKnews. Other reports say the proposals would cut the salaries of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, President Jalal Talabani and parliament speaker Osama al-Nujaifi by 'more than 50 […]
