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By John Lee.

Al Fajar Al Alamia, an Omani firm listed on the Muscat bourse, has said that port facilities in the northern part of Oman must be improved in order to handle the high volumes of rock products required in Iraq, Qatar and Bangladesh.

Company chairman Saleem bin Qassim bin Ahmed Al Zawawi said:

“We are hopeful that the current downturn in the UAE market for rock products would soon be reversed with supplies to Iraq, Bangladesh, etc.”

(Source: Times Of Oman)

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.

In the small desert area of Busaya, Iraqis of different sects have lived together peacefully for decades. Locals pride themselves on their hospitality and unity.

Up until recently not many outsiders really knew much about the southern Iraqi sub-district of Busaya.

In the middle of the desert and close to the border of Saudi Arabia, the area tends to be Bedouin in nature, closer to the culture of the nomadic Arabs of the Gulf States than many other Iraqis. It recently came to public attention because a group of Qatari hunters in the area for sport, were abducted in 2015. The hunting party, which apparently included members of the Qatari royal family, was released in April 2017.

The area is well known as a stop for migrating birds from Europe and hunters commonly come here, to seek out birds and hares.

Most of the around 2,200 people here are either dependent on their own livestock or the Iraqi government for jobs. And around three-quarters of them are Sunni Muslims. Yet somehow, they still elected Shiite Muslims to their local government. Locals say that they don’t let what is going on elsewhere in Iraq affect local relationships.

Around another 5,000 locals, many of whom speak with an accent that sounds more Gulf States than Iraq, are nomadic. And the area is so well known for its hospitality that there are no cafes or restaurants here. Visitors to the district are always invited to eat at locals’ homes, another Bedouin tradition.

By John Lee.

Asiacell Iraq has announced 4 percent growth in revenues from QAR 2.1 billion ($570 million) in H1 2016 to almost QAR 2.2 billion ($600 million) in H1 2017.

The customer base increased 13 percent to reach more than 12 million customers in H1 2017.

EBITDA decreased by 3 percent and stood at QAR 972 million due to network investments to accommodate high data demand as well as reconnection cost in the liberated areas.

According to a statement from the company's Qatar-based owner Ooredoo, growth was stimulated by improvements in the political situation. "With further areas in Mosul being liberated during the first half of the year, network reconnection helped to drive the increase in customer numbers," it said.

(Source: Ooredoo)

The Iraq Britain Business Council (IBBC) has announced that several new companies have joined the Iraq Britain Business Council in 2017, each of which are underpinned by strong reputations for innovation, reliability and a commitment to investing in Iraq.

Al Ratba’a Contracting Company, Al-Burhan Group, Iraq Star Group, Serco, Shamara Holding, Cresent and Rolls Royce join 52 other world- and region-leading companies that form IBBC’s Council of Members.

Al Ratba’a Contracting Company is based in Basra, Iraq, and provides high quality services with improved construction systems and processes, and innovation in accordance with the regulations and international standards to satisfy its customers. Al Ratba’a has 16 years of experience doing business in Iraq, with its headquarters based in Basrah and offices in Baghdad, employing over 800 international and Iraqi staff. Its network of clients and partners includes many international and national firms working across the country in numerous industrial sectors. Al Ratba’a has 12 years of experience working in the Oil & Gas sector, with base camps located in all major Oil fields in Southern Iraq. Its services span a wide range of associated activities across the Oil & Gas industry. For more information visit: http://intraq8.com/al-ratbaa-company/

Al-Burhan Group is a conglomerate based in Iraq and is actively involved in key projects across the country focusing on consultation, construction, equipment and machinery supply, milling, security assistance, hospitality services and transportation. Al Burhan Group is considered an “A” grade company making them one of the top companies in Iraq that is licensed and that has the ability to conduct large scale projects. Al Burhan Group has received numerous awards over the years, two of which being for Reliability and Quality of Service. For more information visit: www.alburhangroup.com

Cresent is Control of Work and Health and Safety specialists, with over 30 years’ experience working in hazardous industries around the world. Cresent’s scope extends across a wide range of facilities on and offshore. Since 2012 Cresent has been working with clients in Iraq, and has been helping make Iraq’s oil fields safer by producing numerous safety training packages in Arabic and English, delivering training to more than 80,000 people in Iraq, coaching 100 Iraqi Safety Trainers and providing work clothing, posters, booklets, campaigns and other information for people at the Rumaila and the West Qurna Oil Fields. For more information visit: www.cresent.co.uk

Iraq Star Group is a leading provider of armed security solutions for international clients across Iraq. The company is 100% Iraqi owned and based in the southern city of Basra. Iraq Star Group has decades of experience in the provision of complex security solutions and is an approved provider to the largest International Oil and Gas companies operating in Iraq. For more information visit: www.iraq-star137.com

From Al Jazeera. Any opinions expressed are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News.

Iraq's prime minister has rejected Saudi and UAE media claims that a $500m ransom was paid by Qatar to Shia Muslim armed groups in Iraq to secure the release of 26 kidnapped Qatari hunters.

Haider al-Abadi said that money was received by the Iraqi government but the sum was still in the Iraqi central bank.

Al Jazeera's Alan Fisher reports:

By Omar Sattar for Al Monitor. Any opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News.

Iraq's firebrand Shiite cleric presents his political successor

In a meeting with the ministers of defense and interior in Muqtada al-Sadr's Najaf office May 3, Sadr's nephew Ahmed al-Sadr stood directly behind his uncle in what was taken as the younger Sadr's introduction as the second-highest authority of the Sadrist movement after Muqtada al-Sadr himself.

A few weeks ago, Ahmed al-Sadr appeared on the Iraqi scene as the head of the Sadrist movement's reform committee, introducing its political agendas and plans for the post-Islamic State period.

The Sadrist movement presented its strategies at the end of April to Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, President Fuad Masum, parliament Speaker Salim al-Jabouri, Kurdistan Regional Government President Massoud Barzani and former President Jalal Talabani.

The Sadrist movement has long been closely associated with the civil movement, having forged an alliance at the start of the demonstrations calling for reform that broke out in 2015.

Ahmed al-Sadr is the son of Muqtada al-Sadr's brother Mustafa al-Sadr. Ahmed al-Sadr was born in Najaf in 1986 but did not receive a religious education in traditional Shiite schools. Instead he was guided and supported by his uncle, who sent him to Lebanon to major in political science at Beirut University, where he completed a master’s degree.

Ahmed al-Sadr returned to Iraq and made public appearances a few days after Muqtada al-Sadr's announcement that he had received death threats March 24 from what he called the “trinity parties,” people involved with the US occupation, terrorism and corruption. He subsequently had to delegate powers to his aides.

As a result, Ahmed al-Sadr was appointed to head the recently formed committee to administer the Sadrist initiatives for political reform and the post-liberation period. He began with meeting with several Iraqi leaders.

By John Lee.

Officials at Baghdad International Airport have reportedly intercepted a shipment of dollars and euros worth a total of $500m (£389m).

Writing in The Independent, Patrick Cockburn claims the cash was contained in 23 large bags unloaded from a Qatari plane, and was intended as a ransom for 24 Qataris, several of them leading members of the Qatari royal family, who were kidnapped 16 months ago by a Shia militia task force.

Although the funds were seized by the authorities, the Qataris were subsequently released from captivity.

The full story can be read here.

(Source: The Independent)

By Salam Zidane for Al Monitor. Any views expressed here are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. 

It's said that some college degrees aren't worth the paper they're printed on. Some graduates in Iraq are finding that to be true. Others can't even get the paper.

Dozens of students protested March 8 in front of the private Mazaya College, calling on the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research to accredit their university and issue diplomas.

Mohammed al-Ghazi, who graduated two years ago from the college in southeastern Iraq, said the school still refuses to grant him and others their degrees, instead saying the ministry is reviewing them.

“I spent millions of dinars [1 million dinars equals about $860] at Mazaya College to obtain a degree in computer engineering. After I completed my fourth year, I found out that the college wasn't accredited and its degree is worthless on the market,” Ghazi told Al-Monitor.

After the protests, the ministry decided March 14 that it will develop a special test for Mazaya graduates and that if they pass it, they will be considered qualified in their field of study and receive a certificate from the ministry. The ministry hasn't yet started the process, which it expects to be complicated and lengthy.

In December, Iraq and five other Arab countries were removed from the World Economic Forum (WEF) global education quality index because their schools don't meet basic education standards. The other countries are Syria, Yemen, Libya, Sudan and Somalia.

Arab countries that made the list, with their ranking, are: Qatar, 4; United Arab Emirates, 10; Lebanon, 25; Bahrain, 33; Jordan, 45; and Saudi Arabia, 54. The index includes 140 countries.

After 2003, when the Iraq war began, many international and foreign universities stopped recognizing Iraqi university degrees because their standards couldn't be verified. Iraqis are asked to take proficiency tests before being admitted to some universities abroad. In the United States, each institution develops its own standards and requirements; many use credential verification services.

By John Lee.

Qatar-based Ooredoo has announced that its Iraqi unit Asiacell has maintained its No.1 revenue market share position, but its revenues have fallen 14 percent:

In its FY 2016 Earnings Statement the company said:

"Despite economic and political challenges in Iraq, Asiacell maintained its revenue and data market leadership. Asiacell successfully reactivated service and rolled out its 3G network to stabilised areas of Iraq. Customer numbers increased by 11% to reach 12 million.

Impacted by the overall challenging business environment and the introduction of a sales tax in August 2015, Asiacell's FY 2016 Revenue decreased 14% to QAR 4.2 billion, down from QAR 4.9 billion.  

"Due to cost optimisation initiatives EBITDA was less impacted, registering QAR 1.9 billion at 2016, down 10% over 2015."

Earlier this week, rival mobile telco Zain announced an 11-percent decline in revenues.

(Source: Ooredoo)