Custom Search

By John Lee.

Belarus's ambassador to Iraq, Anatoly Glaz, visited Baghdad from 1st to 3rd September for a series of bilateral meetings, according to Belarus's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

On 1st September, Glaz presented copies of his credentials to Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein. Discussions covered the restoration of Belarusian-Iraqi cooperation, including the resumption of the Joint Belarusian-Iraqi Commission on Economic Cooperation, foreign ministry consultations, business contacts, and the finalisation of several draft intergovernmental agreements. Glaz also conveyed an invitation from Belarus's foreign minister for Hussein to visit Minsk, including in connection with the Fourth Minsk International Conference on Eurasian Security, scheduled for 3-4 November.

Also on 1st September, Glaz met with Abdul Amir al-Shammari, head of the Office of the Commander-in-Chief of Iraq's Armed Forces, to discuss regional security and prospects for bilateral cooperation between relevant agencies of the two countries.

On 2nd September, Glaz met with Faiq Zidan, Chairman of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC), to discuss follow-up on commitments made during Zidan's previous visit to Minsk and further institutional cooperation.

On 3rd September, Glaz met with Minister of Electricity Ali Saad Wahib to discuss prospects for Belarusian assistance in modernising Iraq's electricity system and the supply of relevant components.

Glaz also participated, alongside representatives of Belarusian pharmaceutical companies, in a business forum organised by the Belarusian Embassy, where discussions covered cooperation in pharmaceuticals, agriculture, industry, energy, and the supply of Belarusian equipment.

(Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus)

By John Lee.

Iraq's Ministry of Electricity has held discussions with representatives of US company GE on expanding the Mansuriya gas power station and adding combined-cycle units.

The meeting was chaired by Mohammed Nouama Al-Tufeili, the ministry's undersecretary for production affairs, and was attended by representatives of the Investments and Contracts Directorate, the Planning and Follow-up Directorate, and the General Company for Electricity Production - Central Region.

Technical, planning, and investment aspects of the project were reviewed, along with the requirements for advancing its implementation. Al-Tufeili emphasised the ministry's commitment to expanding production stations and strengthening cooperation with international companies to increase generation capacity and improve grid stability.

(Source: Ministry of Electricity)

By John Lee.

A 750-megawatt solar power station planned for Muthanna province has moved forward following discussions between Iraq's Ministry of Electricity and Chinese company Power Construction Corporation of China (PowerChina). The meeting also covered the technical and implementation stages of the project, and progress on related procedures.

According to the Ministry of Electricity, 250MW of the project's capacity is expected to be brought into service before the summer of 2027, contributing to the national electricity grid and increasing generation capacity.

The ministry's Deputy Minister for Production Affairs, Engineer Mohammed Noama Al-Tufayli, led the discussions, attended by the director general of the Investments and Contracts Directorate, the director general of the Planning and Studies Directorate, and the head of the Renewable Energy Centre and his deputy.

(Source: Ministry of Electricity)

By John Lee.

The director-general of the Middle Euphrates Electricity Production Company and one of the company's employees have been sentenced to six years in prison and a fine of IQD 10 million (USD 7,600) each for accepting bribes in exchange for releasing payments owed to a contractor.

According to the Federal Commission of Integrity, the Central Criminal Court for Corruption issued the in-absentia ruling after finding the evidence gathered during the commission's investigation sufficient for conviction. The sentences were handed down under Resolution 160 of 1983.

The commission had executed a judicial warrant against the director-general of the Middle Euphrates Electricity Production Company in the middle of last month in connection with the bribery charges.

(Source: Federal Commission of Integrity)

By John Lee.

Progress on combined-cycle power generation projects in four central Iraqi provinces has been reviewed in a meeting between the Minister of Electricity and representatives of Chinese contractor Shanghai Electric. The projects cover stations in Najaf, Karbala, Diwaniyah, and Babil.

According to the Ministry of Electricity, Minister Ali Saad Wahib directed the company to adhere to agreed timelines, accelerate work in line with approved schedules, and address any obstacles affecting implementation. The ministry said it is monitoring completion rates and project commissioning dates directly.

Representatives of Shanghai Electric confirmed their commitment to accelerating work on the combined-cycle projects, and said they would prioritise the Najaf and Karbala stations given the high volume of religious visitors those provinces receive, particularly during mass pilgrimages and religious occasions.

(Source: Ministry of Electricity)

By John Lee.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has announced plans to distribute one million residential land plots to citizens, with the last plot to be allocated within three years.

He made the comments on Friday during a session at the eighth Baghdad Dialogue Conference, organised by the Iraqi Institute for Dialogue.

According to the Prime Minister's Media Office, al-Zaidi outlined a series of government priorities, including:

• Salaries and government payments are secured, with a plan in place to cover coming years.
• The 2026 budget will focus on electricity production, distribution and transmission, and expanded use of solar energy.
• A development fund with capital of $100 billion is planned, drawing on contributions from the Central Bank of Iraq (CBI), public subscription, and international and regional financing institutions.
• Fuel consumption reforms are expected to generate savings of IQD 17.8 trillion (USD 13.6 billion) over a full year.
• Iraq is working to expand oil exports via the Turkish port of Ceyhan, as well as through Baniyas and Aqaba.
• Iraq aims to increase its OPEC export quota, targeting 8 to 10 million barrels per day within six years.
• The National Investment Commission (NIC) will announce investment opportunities in residential plots under a modern design framework.
• Plans are under way to provide agricultural land plots for agricultural engineers and veterinarians, with loans to be offered under a structured economic model.
• Tax revenues on imports will be collected in advance upon opening transfers, with amounts refundable if the import does not proceed.
• Customs duties on some goods have been reduced to encourage legitimate revenue flows.
• Pre-contract price auditing has replaced post-audit procedures to curb over-pricing in contracts and projects.

Al-Zaidi also stated that all political factions agree on confining weapons to state authority, that there is no intention or likelihood of military confrontation, and that weapons outside state control constitute an investment deterrent.

He added that he has committed not to seek a second term, and that current reform programmes will yield results for future governments.

(Source: Prime Minister's Media Office)

By John Lee.

Priorities for a new World Bank loan to Iraq's electricity sector were discussed at a meeting between Electricity Minister Ali Saad Wahib and Emmanuel Salinas Munoz, the World Bank's country director for Iraq, on Wednesday.

According to the Ministry of Electricity, the meeting also reviewed progress on projects under the current World Bank loan. Discussions covered priority projects to address bottlenecks in the electricity transmission network, improve grid efficiency and increase power delivery to demand centres, as well as projects related to gas supplies and Gulf electricity interconnection.

Minister Wahib emphasised the importance of directing financing towards projects with a direct impact on electricity infrastructure development, in support of the ministry's plans to raise system efficiency and improve supply levels.

(Source: Ministry of Electricity)

By John Lee.

Iraq plans to double its electricity production and distribution capacity by 2027, with measures targeting both supply expansion and the elimination of longstanding inefficiencies.

Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi made the announcement during a visit to the Ministry of Electricity, where he chaired a meeting with senior ministry officials.

He directed the Minister of Electricity, Ali Saad Wahib, to take the following steps:

• Full maintenance of the 30,000 megawatts currently being produced
• Purchase of at least 10,000 megawatts of imported power from neighbouring countries
• Purchase of 37,000 megawatts of new capacity, comprising 15,000 megawatts from GE, 12,000 megawatts from solar energy, and 10,000 megawatts from thermal sources

Al-Zaidi said 2027 would mark a turning point for Iraq's electricity sector, and that the government was committed to ending delays and halting waste and corruption that had persisted for decades.

(Source: Prime Minister's Office)

By John Lee.

Maysan [Missan] Oil Company (MOC) has marketed a 440-tonne shipment of sulphur produced at the central gas processing plant (GPP) at the Halfaya oil field, in preparation for export to international markets.

According to the state-run Iraqi News Agency (INA), the shipment was transferred through a local intermediary to State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO), which will handle its export.

The company's director-general, Hussein Kazem La'ibi, said sulphur is the third product to be extracted from gas processing operations at the Halfaya GPP, alongside dry gas supplied to electricity generation stations and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) distributed to provinces across the country.

Ali Abdul-Rahim Tarish, head of the gas department at the company's Production and Disposal Authority, said the sulphur is produced by extracting hydrogen sulphide (H₂S) compounds from associated gas during processing, then converting them into high-purity elemental sulphur in sulphur recovery units. He noted that sulphur is used in the manufacture of fertilisers, pesticides, and a range of other industries.

(Source: Iraqi News Agency)

By John Lee.

Iraq has announced that executive procedures for its one-million-residential-plot initiative will begin on 1 September 2026, with provincial governors directed to finalise land identification and complete the necessary legal and administrative steps.

According to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi chaired the fourth session of the Supreme Coordination Council between Governorates on Sunday, at which a range of housing, electricity, water and administrative matters were discussed.

On the housing initiative, governors were directed to resolve land identification with minimal conflicts, agricultural contracts and existing structures, and to complete procedures including lifting agricultural reform restrictions, reclassifying land use, finalising designs and transferring ownership to municipalities. The session also approved use of unawarded new-city projects and land already under consideration by investment authorities.

The session also addressed several other matters, including:

• Approval to increase water releases from the Al-Abbasiyah and Kufa barrages to support the summer rice crop in Diwaniyah governorate
• Approval to transfer electricity distribution administration to the governorates, and a review of Cabinet Resolution 1070 of 2025
• Formation of a committee to revise the technical model for privatising electricity distribution, to report to the Prime Minister
• A directive suspending the Ministry of Oil from approving fuel quotas for private generators without coordination with Baghdad governorate
• Approval to treat Youth and Sports Ministry sub-directorates, clubs and facilities in Baghdad and the governorates as local structures under provincial administration
• A recommendation to amend Cabinet Resolution 24591 of 2024 to assign oversight of sports venues to the governorates
• Approval to establish three new sub-districts in Kirkuk governorate: Shwan, Qarah Hanjir and Baiji
• Formation of a committee to coordinate implementation of a population-growth challenges study prepared by the Ministry of Planning

(Source: Prime Minister's Office)