Author Archive | Editor

Sonoro Terminates Iraqi Agreement

By John Lee. Sonoro Energy Ltd. has announced that the Company has changed its strategy of making significant use of advisory and consulting services in Iraq to primarily utilizing its own established network. With this change, the Company has terminated its advisory and consulting agreement with Amira Management B.V. (an entity with the same principals […]

Construction Booming in Baghdad

By John Lee. The head of the Baghdad Investment Commission (BIC), Shakir al-Zamil [Shaker Shabib] (pictured), said he recently authorized the construction of 2600 housing units for the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. Azzaman reports him as saying that private and foreign investments are pouring into Baghdad, despite the latest upsurge in violence. He […]

Iraq Stock Market Report

Advertising Feature Rabee Securities Iraq Stock Exchange (ISX) market report (week ending: 11th July 2013). Please click here to download a table of listed companies and their associated ticker codes. The RSISX index ended the week at ID1,845 (-0.9%) / $1,955 (-1.5%) (weekly change). The number of week traded shares was 6.2bn and the weekly […]

Video: New Electricity, Gas Deals with Iran

From Iran’s PressTV. Any opinions expressed are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Iran has reached an agreement with Iraq to increase its electricity exports to its western neighbor. Nearly 150 megawatt of electricity is expected to be added to the volume of Iran's electricity exports. […]

Canada to Establish Diplomatic Presence in Erbil

The Canadian Ambassador to Iraq and Jordan, Mr Mark Gwozdecky, met with Minister Falah Mustafa yesterday as part of his farewell tour of Kurdistan. Ambassador Gwozdecky has served in his post for over three years. He will return to Ottawa to head the Middle East Bureau at their Ministry of Foreign Affairs. During their meeting, […]

Barzani's Goodwill Baghdad Tour

By Mustafa al-Kadhimi for Al-Monitor. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Kurdistan Region of Iraq President Massoud Barzani's visit to Baghdad on July 7 carries many connotations. It also reflects an Iraqi environment favorable to dialogue, not only to resolve the problems […]

Parliament Manages to Agree… On Own Membership

By Reidar Visser. The following article was published by Reidar Visser, an historian of Iraq educated at the University of Oxford and currently based at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs. It is reproduced here with the author’s permission. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq […]

India Interested in Iraqi Refineries

By John Lee. India is interested in building refineries and petrochemical plants in Iraq, according to a report from the Economic Times. Oil Minister M Veerappa Moily (pictured), who led a 28-member delegation to participate in the 17th India-Iraq Joint Commission meeting in Baghdad, expressed interest in setting up gas-based projects including fertiliser plants. He […]

Spudding of Shaikan-10 Development Well

Gulf Keystone has announced that further to the approval of the Field Development Plan for the Shaikan field, a world class commercial discovery, announced on 26 June 2013, the Company has commenced its development drilling programme with the spudding of Shaikan-10. In parallel, production operations from the newly commissioned Shaikan production facility ("PF-1") are scheduled […]

Failed Banking System Prompts Iraqis to Hoard Gold

By Abdel Hamid Zebari for Al-Monitor. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. There is an old Arabic saying that "gold is both for decoration and storing." Currently, Iraqis, particularly residents of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, are taking these words to heart. […]

Italy to Upgrade Diplomatic Presence

The newly arrived Italian Consul in Erbil, Dr Carmelo Ficarra, met with Minister Falah Mustafa to discuss ways of building upon his predecessor’s success. Italy has a Consular Office in Erbil, which is due to be upgraded to a fully-fledged Consulate later this year. In welcoming him to Kurdistan, Minister Mustafa encouraged him to use […]

Dutch Delegation Visits Kurdistan

The Dutch Minister for Migration and State Secretary of Security and Justice, Mr Fred Teeven, met with Minister Falah Mustafa as part of his visit to the Kurdistan Region to discuss bilateral ties. The visit is part of an effort to further strengthen ties between Kurdistan and the Netherlands. Minister Mustafa expressed his appreciation to […]