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Uncertain Prospects for Iraqi 'Sunni Alliance'

By Mushreq Abbas for Al-Monitor. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. The political map of the Sunni forces after the April parliamentary elections seems, at first glance, like an extension of the map before the election, in terms of the weight and influence of the forces. […]

Erbil Mission to Boost Canadian Business Opportunities

By John Lee. A newly-opened Canadian trade mission in Erbil suggests that Kurdistan is seen as a land of opportunities for Canadian firms, reports Rudaw. After 25 years of absence, Canada opened a diplomatic mission in Baghdad in April 2013, and a new trade office in Erbil last February. Lynne Yelich (pictured), Canada’s Minister of […]

Fugro wins Contract from Basra Gas Company

Fugro has been awarded a contract for one year, plus a year extension option, by Basra Gas Company (BGC) for the provision of Geotechnical Investigations and Topographic Services in the Basrah province of Southern Iraq. Fugro will provide geotechnical and topographical survey investigation services at various locations throughout the project area to support a number […]

Zain Hires Team to Lead IPO

By John Lee. Mobile operator Zain has hired Melak Investments and Rabee Securities as the leading adviser and broker to lead the initial public offering (IPO) of its shares. According to a report from The National, Melak Investments is run by the Iraq-born former Franklin Templeton asset manager Shwan Taha, who also founded Rabee Securities. Last […]

US Approves $90m Raytheon Iraq Deal

By John Lee. The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to Iraq for Aerostats and Rapid Aerostat Initial Deployment tower systems and associated equipment, parts, training and logistical support for an estimated cost of $90 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this […]

MP Fined for Offering Land for Votes

By Harith Hasan for Al-Monitor. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. A video of Mahmoud al-Hassan, an Iraqi member of parliament (MP) from the State of Law Coalition, talking to a group of farmers in the province of Diwaniyah has circulated in […]

US Approves $790m Aircraft Contract

By John Lee. The US State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to Iraq for AT-6C Texan II aircraft (similar to the Moroccan Air Force plane pictured) and associated equipment, parts, training and logistical support for an estimated cost of $790 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) delivered the […]

LSIS Inks $52m Smart Metering Deal

By John Lee. Korean company LS Industrial Systems (LSIS) said on Wednesday that it has signed a $52 million deal with the Iraqi government to supply its patented advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) solutions. The company will supply 110,000 smart meters that track energy consumption at power transmission centers in Iraq. The transmission centers will then share […]

UN Concerned at 'Deliberate Flooding' in Abu Ghraib

By John Lee. Nickolay Mladenov (pictured), the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Iraq, visited the area of Abu Ghraib on Wednesday and spoke out against what he called the deliberate flooding of the area. Floods in Abu Ghraib have caused the displacement of more than 12,000 families and submerged hundreds of houses, including at least four […]

UNDP Considers Development Plan

Foreign Minister, Hoshyar Zebari, discussed on May 13, 2014 with UNDP Country Manager, Adam Abdel Mawla, the programs and projects of the UN in Iraq. The UN representative stressed that all development programs will be run, from the beginning of next month inside Iraq, not from abroad, confirming that the organization will open a big […]

Korean Consul General bids Farewell

The South Korean Consul General to Kurdistan, Mr. Younhyon Kim, visited the KRG Department of Foreign Relations to meet with the Head of the DFR, Minister Falah Mustafa to bid farewell as his tenure in the region comes to an end. The meeting was also attended by the Assistant Head to the DFR, Ms. Siham […]

GKP Falls on Payment Delays

By John Lee. Shares in Gulf Keystone Petroleum (GKP) closed 7 percent lower on Wednesday after the company warned of delays in receiving payments for exports. The full text of the interim management statement for the period from 1 January 2014 to today is shown below: Overview On 25 March 2014, Gulf Keystone's common shares […]