Author Archive | Editor

Iraq's Economy: Spotlight on Oil and Gas

On April 20, 2020, IRIS held a webinar entitled Iraq's Economy: Spotlight on Oil and Gas. The discussion focused on Iraq's economy amidst falling oil prices and additional pressures from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Speakers included IRIS Senior Fellow and AFC Iraq Fund Chief Investment Officer Ahmed Tabaqchali, Iraq Correspondent for Associated Press (AP) Samya Kullab, […]

GKP Shares up 10% on Results

By John Lee. Shares in Gulf Keystone Petroleum (GKP) were up around 10 percent on Thursday morning, following the company's announcement of its results for the year ended 31 December 2019. Jón Ferrier (pictured), Gulf Keystone's Chief Executive Officer, said: "2019 saw a step change in activity at Shaikan; we delivered production and controlled expenditures […]

Iraq Reduces Energy Imports from Iran by 75%

From Middle East Monitor, under a Creative Commons licence. Any opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Iraq reduces energy imports from Iran by 75%  Iraq has reduced its electricity and gas imports from Iran by 75 per cent after achieving a strong […]

Iraq Relaxes Coronavirus Restrictions ahead of Ramadan

By Al Monitor staff. Any opinions expressed here are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Iraq relaxes coronavirus restrictions ahead of Ramadan Iraq has scaled back some of its anti-coronavirus measures ahead of the fasting month of Ramadan, allowing certain businesses to reopen, the government said. […]

Iraq Falls in World Press Freedom Index

By John Lee. Iraq has fallen in the World Press Freedom Index for 2020, ranking 162nd out of 180 countries, down six places on last year. The result puts Iraq behind countries such as Turkey and Sudan, but ahead of Iran and Libya. First place went to Norway, with North Korea coming last. Reporters Without […]

Capacity Building for Reconstruction of Mosul's Cultural Heritage

UNESCO and ICCROM (The International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property) sign an agreement on capacity building for the reconstruction of Mosul's cultural heritage. ICCROM, through its Regional Conservation Office in Sharjah (UAE), will provide a two-year capacity building programme for professionals and craftspeople to contribute to the reconstruction […]

Video: Volunteers step up efforts to Feed the Poor

From Al Jazeera. Any opinions expressed are those of the author(s), and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Poverty is on the rise in Iraq as more cases of COVID-19 are reported. Daily wage earners are being forced to stay at home because of the lockdown there. Volunteers are helping some […]

Fitch Downgrades Outlook for Trade Bank of Iraq (TBI)

By John Lee. Fitch Ratings has revised the outlook for the Trade Bank of Iraq (TBI) from "Stable" to "Negative". In a statement, it says that TBI's Issuer Default Rating (IDR)s are driven by the bank's Viability Rating (VR) and underpinned by potential sovereign support. "The revision of the Outlook to Negative from Stable follows […]

Kurdistan, Iraq discuss Oil Production

From Middle East Monitor, under a Creative Commons licence. Any opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. An official Kurdish delegation arrived on Sunday in the Iraqi capital Baghdad to discuss oil production. "The delegation, led by the Kurdistan government's Finance Minister, Awat […]

Medical Aid Arrives in Baghdad from China

By John Lee. A third batch of medical aid from China arrived on Monday in Baghdad. It includes medical protective equipment such as protective clothing, masks and gloves. (Sources: Ministry for Health, CGTN)