Archive | 2014

KRG to US: ‘This is Iraq’s Last Chance’

During a speech to an audience of top Washington scholars and officials at the Center from Strategic International Studies (CSIS), Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani said, ‘Iraq can only be saved if Baghdad is willing to devolve some of its powers to regional authorities and be more inclusive of minorities.’ He […]

Video: IS Gains Ground in Anbar

From Al Jazeera. Any opinions expressed are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Fighters from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, ISIS, IS) have mounted two suicide car-bomb attacks aimed at security checkpoints at the main entrance into Haditha city. Al Jazeera's Jane […]

Iraq Stock Market Report

Advertising Feature Rabee Securities Iraq Stock Exchange (ISX) market report (week ending: 11th December 2014). Please click here to download a table of listed companies and their associated ticker codes. The RSISX index ended the week at ID1,373 (+0.2%)/ $1,489 (+0.2%) (weekly change) (-26.4% and -25.0% YTD change, respectively). The number of week traded shares […]

Article 140: The Elephant at the Negotiating Table

This article was originally published by Niqash. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Article 140: The Elephant At The Negotiating Table As Kurds and Iraqis Reach Oil Deal Over the past week or so, there have been many congratulatory articles written about the […]

SOMO Denies OPEC Price War

By John Lee. The State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO) has denied that it is waging a price war against other oil producers. The company recently slashed price to its Asian customers due to what it described as "changes in the market" but has denied that this was an attempt to undercut other members of the […]

Petronas "Can make it Work" in Iraq

By John Lee. The upstream international vice-president of Malaysia's Petronas, Sharbini Suhaili, has reportedly said that Petronas was the largest international oil company in Iraq, and that the assets returns were promising despite numerous challenges. "There are always challenges. "We can make it work and we are working well with our partners." (Source: AsiaOne) (Picture: Halfaya […]

Iraq Seeks to Delay Kuwait Reparations

By John Lee. Iraq's Finance Minister, Hoshyar Zebari (pictured), has told Reuters that he is trying to postpone the final $4.6 billion installment of reparations for its 1990-91 occupation of Kuwait. To fund its reparations commitments, Iraq pays 5 percent of its crude oil exports to the U.N. Compensation Commission (UNCC). So far, nearly all […]

Video: Pilgrims Flock to Karbala

From AFP. Any opinions expressed are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Shiite Muslims are flocking to the Imam al-Hussein shrine in Karbala in preparation for the Arbaeen religious festival marking the 40th day after Ashura which commemorates the seventh century killing of Prophet Mohammed's grandson:

Bigger Discount for Heavy Basra Crude

By John Lee. Iraq is reported to be giving bigger discounts for heavy crude from Basra from January. The State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO) recently abandoned plans to split its "Basra Light" grade into two grades, light and heavy. Reuters says this latest move is aimed at pacifying buyers who have had to deal with […]

$3bn Power Plant for Bismaya

By John Lee. Reuters reports that Mass Global will partly finance a $3-billion power plant in Bismaya. The gas-fired, 3,000-megawatt plant is being built by Turkey's Enka Insaat, whose chairman Sinan Tara said it would be financed partly from Mass Global's equity and partly from Iraqi lenders. The project will be built in two phases […]