Australia’s Ambassador to Iraq Ms Lyndall Sachs visited Erbil this week to exchange views with President Masoud Barzani and Prime Minister Barham Salih on political and economic developments and to discuss increasing economic relations. President Barzani met Ambassador Sachs, who reaffirmed Australia’s full support for a democratic and pluralistic Iraq and commended him on the […]
The following report was published on 26th September 2011 by the International Crisis Group. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. To download the full report, please click here. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS After years of uncertainty, conflict and instability, the Iraqi state […]
Over the next 18 months, the U.S. Embassy in Iraq will provide approximately $580,000 toward establishing the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) center at the Commission on Integrity (COI). These funds will provide English-language training for 100 COI employees. The investigators and prosecutors in the program will receive a minimum of 288 […]
Levels of violence rose in Iraq for the fourth week in a row last week, with a number of people killed and injured in nationwide attacks. Violence was concentrated in Baghdad, Mosul and the districts surrounding the capital. As warned in last week’s Security Update on Iraq Business News there were several attacks conducted against […]
In our ongoing efforts to brings you all the best information on doing business in Iraq, we continue to add to the list of reports available from our reports service. This week we've added two reports to purchase, and one to download free of charge: ‘Perspective on Iraqi private banks’, researched and written by Ahmad […]
Bloomberg reports that Iraq has made its first payment on a $3 billion program to buy 18 Lockheed Martin (LMT) F-16 fighter jets. Pentagon spokesman George Little commented: “A long-term strategic relationship with Iraq is important. We seek to find ways to enable the Iraqis to provide for their own security and to add to […]
The Iraqi Oil Ministry has announced amendments to the contracts for the fourth oil licensing round after complaints from participating companies, reports AKnews. The Ministry's Director of Contracts and Licenses, Abdulmahdi al-Amidi [Abdul-Mahdy al-Ameedi], said that a final formula will be issued before the beginning of the negotiations in November. "These contracts purchased by the […]
Iraqi government spokesman Dr Ali al-Dabbagh has announced that Iraq's cabinet has approved projects to build two power stations in southern Iraq. The 1,500 megawatt Rumaila power station will be built by South Korean Hyundai Engineering at a cost of $308 million, while the 1,250 megawatt plant in Basra will be built by Greek company […]
Iraq's cabinet has approved a contract with South Korea's KOGAS to develop the Akkas [Ukaz] gas field in western Anbar province, the country's largest, according to a report from Reuters. The cabinet approved the deal on Sept. 13 and the source said it will be signed Oct. 15. "Final signature of Akkas gas deal with Kogas […]
Italian energy company ENI, operator of Iraq's giant Zubair oil field, said it was interested in more operations in the country after talks with Baghdad leaders. ENI's Chief Executive Officer, Paolo Scaroni, accompanied by the company's E&P COO, Claudio Descalzi, met with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in Baghdad to discuss the redevelopment of Zubair […]
WesternZagros Resources has received approval to begin producing its first oil through an extended well test at its Sarqala-1 oil discovery. Drilling at Mil Qasim-1, the Company's third exploration well, is proceeding ahead of schedule. "We are delighted to commence our extended well test at Sarqala-1 sooner than anticipated. The acceleration of the next phase […]
Excalibur is suing Gulf Keystone Petroleum (GKP) over Kurdistan's 11-billion-barrel Shaikan oil field in a vigorously-contested lawsuit. The company had a "collaboration agreement" with Texas Keystone, a private company owned by GKP's chairman Todd Kozel and his brothers, giving it 30pc of fields won in any joint bids. According to London's Telegraph, Excalibur, which introduced […]
