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By Padraig O'Hannelly.

To prosper in Iraq, you need to be well informed, and at Iraq Business News we are committed to providing our readers with the very best and most relevant information on the country.

To that end, we are delighted to announce that GardaWorld, a global leader in comprehensive security and risk management, is making its weekly Iraq security report available to our readers.

Prepared by GardaWorld’s Risk Analysis Team in the country, this essential report includes short- and medium-term outlooks on the security situation, reports and commentary on recent significant events, and a detailed overview of developments across the country, including the battle to liberate Mosul.

Please click here to download the latest report free of charge.

For more information on how GardaWorld’s services can support your business in Iraq, please contact Daniel Matthews, Senior Director Iraq, at [email protected]

GardaWorld, a global leader in comprehensive security and risk management, has made its weekly security report available to Iraq Business News readers.

Prepared by GardaWorld's Risk Analysis Team in Iraq, this essential report includes short- and medium-term outlooks on the security situation, reports and commentary on recent significant events, and a detailed overview of developments across the country, including the battle to liberate Mosul.

Please click here to download the full 20-page report free of charge.

For more information on how GardaWorld's services can support your business in Iraq, please contact Daniel Matthews, Senior Director Iraq, at [email protected]

More than 180 expert speakers and delegates from the UK, Iraq, UAE and abroad gathered in Dubai at The Address Dubai Marina on Sunday 18 December for the Iraq Britain Business Council’s (IBBC) Autumn Conference.

Usually held in London, the well-attended conference marked the first time the IBBC has held an event in the UAE, a hub for global and regional companies that operate in the Middle East.

The decision to move the Autumn Conference to Dubai has certainly proven to be a good one, with the new location attracting a new audience of business leaders and decision makers based in the region.

A record number of delegates from non-member companies registered for the event, including representatives from Mitsubishi, Serco, Rolls-Royce, Capital Bank of Jordan and LUKOIL.

They were joined by representatives from IBBC member companies, such as Shell, ExxonMobil, Siemens, GE, Amec Foster Wheeler, GardaWorld, Restrata, Eversheds and more.

The conference was supported by H.E. Mr Kadhim Finjan Al-Hamami, Iraq’s Minister of Transport, and Mr Frank Baker OBE, Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Iraq, who jointly opened the event with IBBC President Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne.

The theme of the conference was ‘Doing Business in Iraq’. Delegates heard from Ariel Flores, General Manager of BP (Rumaila Operating Organisation), on operating Rumaila in a $50-barrel world during the first session, ‘The Iraq Oil and Gas Sector in 2016’. He focused particularly on how investing in technology, training and safety is key to Rumaila’s operations.

Meanwhile, Marwa Al Nasaa, the International Monetary Fund’s Resident Representative for Iraq delivered an overview of the IMF’s Stand-By Arrangement (SBA), economic developments under the SBA and a forecast of what’s to come.

Other headlining speakers included Dennis Flannery of Citibank, Dr Jafar Dhia Jafar of URUK Engineering and Contracting Company LLC., Zeeshan Sheikh of the International Finance Corporation, Salem Jawad Chalabi of Stephenson Horwood Middle East LLP and Jorge Vila of Iraq Middle Market Development Foundation (IMMDF), who addressed the audience from Paris via a Skype link-up.

IBBC members also joined panel discussions. Asrar Abdulhussein Mohammed of International Islamic Bank participated in the finance session, while Iain Rawlinson of Gulftainer and Peter Turner of SKA International shared their insights on opportunities in Iraq for investment and partnership within the transport and logistics sectors.

Amar Shubar of Management Partners, Gavin Rennie of EY, Afif Masri of PwC and Vikas Handa of Beas LLC (formerly of Weir Group) chaired the panels on finance, power, opportunities in the private sector and O&G respectively.

he IBBC Autumn Conference was generously sponsored by the Islamic International Bank, Gulftainer, Weir Group, SKA International and the IMMDF.

The IBBC’s next conference will take place at Mansion House, London, on Monday 3 April 2017. More information will be available in due course.

For information on the IBBC Autumn Conference, membership or conference sponsorship opportunities, contact the IBBC London team at [email protected] or +44 20 7222 7100 or our UAE Representative Samer Al-Omari at [email protected] or +971552088000.

(Source: IBBC)

Kurdistan’s Oil & Gas Leaders to Hold Official Annual Meeting in London

The Ministry of Natural Resources of the Kurdistan Regional Government, Iraq is to hold the sixth official Kurdistan-Iraq Oil & Gas Conference in London, on 5-7 December 2016 to drive forward the oil and gas development in the Region of Kurdistan.

Energy events experts CWC Group has hosted and grown the event over the years to become the gateway to the oil and gas business for the Kurdistan Region offering a unique platform for the global oil and gas industry.

The event is renowned for gathering Kurdistan’s Government representatives with global oil and gas leaders to discuss current opportunities, network and build partnerships to drive the industry forward.

Sponsored by an range of established companies: Star Light, ExxonMobil, Chevron, DNO, Gazprom, Qaiwan, KAR Group, Genel Energy, Gulf Keystone, Renwa Group, Petoil, Gardaworld, Iraqoil, Gas Liquids Engineering, Gas plus New Age, Hunt Oil Middle East, WesternZagros and SMB Group, the event will dedicate the two initial days to strategic panel discussions and a third day to the Security Seminar, focused on Protecting Critical Infrastructure in the region; a key aspect for any economic progress in Iraq.

Distinguished Speakers of the Conference Include:

• E Qubad Talabani, Deputy Prime Minister, Kurdistan Regional Government, Iraq
• E Dr Ashti Hawrami, Minister of Natural Resources, Kurdistan Regional Government, Iraq
• E Falah Mustafa Bakir, Head of the Department of Foreign Relations, Kurdistan Regional Government, Iraq
• Dr Amanj Raheem, Minister, Kurdistan Regional Government Cabinet Secretary & Chief Legal Advisor, Kurdistan Regional Government, Iraq
• Najmaldin Karim, Governor of Kirkuk Governorate, Iraq
• Saad Sadollah, Commercial & Business Development Advisor, Ministry of Natural Resources, Kurdistan Regional Government, Iraq
• Ian MacDonald, Vice President, Europe, Eurasia and Middle East Exploration and Production, Chevron
• Bijan Mossavar-Rahmani, Executive Chairman, DNO ASA
• Murat Ozgul, CEO, Genel Energy Plc
• Jón Ferrier, Chief Executive Officer, Gulf Keystone Petroleum Ltd

(View the full speaker list here)

Following the official opening keynote from the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Natural Resources, the speakers will address important topics for the industry, dedicating a session to each of the following:

• Kurdistan’s Oil & Gas Operators: Transforming the Region into an Energy Hub
• Oil & Gas Infrastructure Development, the Catalyst for the Region’s Development
• Kurdistan’s Electricity Infrastructure; Innovation, Progress & Plans
• Kurdistan’s Gas : Potential & Opportunities
• Creating Value through Large Projects; Evaluating Kurdistan Oil & Gas Investment Strategies
• Integrated Telecommunications Services & Solutions for Kurdistan Energy Projects

 (View the full programme here)

(Source: CWC)

Garda World Security Corporation, the world’s largest privately owned security and cash services provider, announced today that its International Protective Services business is now the first company in the world to hold the ISO 18788 security standard across its entire operations.

This standard builds on a number of efforts that have emerged to govern private security provision and ensure responsible security operations in complex environments, including: International Code of Conduct (ICoC) for Private Security Service Providers, ANSI ASIS.PSC.2012 (an auditable international management system standard), the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights and the Montreux Document. This certification demonstrates that GardaWorld has chosen to put respect for human rights at the center of its risk management framework.

GardaWorld continues to lead the way being not only the first, but the only PSC in the world to achieve global certification of all of its services to this new standard (ISO 18788).

There is growing international consensus about human rights responsibilities of businesses and this new International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standard ISO 18788 outlines a risk management framework for the conduct of security operations. This new standard is invaluable to organizations providing and contracting security services.

GardaWorld International Protective Services now proudly holds ISO certifications in:

• Management system for private security operations (ISO 18788)
• Management System for Quality of Private Security Company Operations (PSC.1-2012)
• Quality Assurance Management (ISO 9001)
• Environmental Management (ISO 14001)
• Societal Security – Business Continuity Management (ISO 22301), and
• Occupational Health and Safety Management (BS OHSAS 18001).

“These certifications cover every service that we provide throughout the world,” explains GardaWorld International Protective Services President and COO Oliver Westmacott. “They not only demonstrate the efficiency and reliability of GardaWorld’s operations, but also the wealth of international experience the company has established from years spent working with clients on the ground in complex environments and emerging markets.”

Companies seeking risk management and security services can choose GardaWorld with confidence that it maintains the highest standards of professionalism, corporate governance and ethical standards that are continually reviewed and maintained through external expert certification.

“We operate in a comprehensive and responsible manner that enhances human safety and security while conforming to international and local laws and human rights standards,” notes GardaWorld Senior Manager, Compliance & Assurance Karel Simpson. “To assist our clients in achieving their objectives, we manage risks to all our stakeholders including our clients, persons working for us and on our behalf, affected communities and our suppliers.”

(Source: GardaWorld)

Members of the Iraq Britain Business Council (IBBC), leading political figures and experts gathered in the tranquil setting of Cumberland Lodge, Windsor Great Park, at the weekend for the IBBC's annual retreat.

The weekend was spent holding discussions and talks on different aspects that affect doing business in Iraq.

The event opened on Friday evening with a dinner followed by an address by Simon Pearce, Company Secretary of the Financial Conduct Authority, who spoke about the importance and challenges of financial regulation.

Next day a lecture from Professor Toby Dodge of the London School of Economics (LSE) laid the backdrop of how Iraq has reached the point it is at.

It was followed by discussion between the former UK Security Envoy to Iraq, General Sir Simon Mayall, the Head of the Foreign Office ISIL taskforce, Mr Dan Chugg, Mr Khalid Mahmood MP and Ms Lise Grande, the Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary General in Iraq. Members were treated to a frank analysis of the current goings-on in Iraq and how these came about but, more importantly, how these can be addressed.

The theme of the conference turned to vocational education with the Principal of Bedfordshire College Dr Ali Hadawi. The session described ways in which the Further Education has the capacity to empower what he termed a ‘second-chance mechanism’. Dr Hadawi stressed that education is key to investing in human capital as it is fundamental to creating and sustaining livelihoods for individuals and for making a country an attractive business opportunity.

Drawing on Dr Hadawi’s talk, Mr Vikas Handa, MD for EMEA at Weir Group, spoke about his firm’s vocational training initiatives to train and empower Iraqis. Mr Tim Luft, Co-founder of WOOTE, spoke about how rapid technological change was driving a revolution in training programmes. Virtual reality headsets, for example, allow for cheap, efficient and effective immersive training that cuts the time and cost required to create a skilled workforce.

The event continued with a session on ‘Nurturing an Alternative Media Discourse in Iraq’. Mr John Ray, former Middle East Foreign Correspondent for ITN, Mr Nicholas Pelham, Middle East Correspondent for The Economist, and Mr Faheem Ahamed, CEO of Lapis, gave different points of view on the difficulty of covering the news in Iraq, the way in which the dominant media narrative has been dominated by the paradigm of security, and how this neglects other aspects of the society that are key to have a more balanced perception of the reality.

The final panel of the day discussed the practical and thematic considerations for an IBBC conference to be held in Basrah in early October 2015. Members from Shell, HWH Associates, Basrah Engineering Group, ExxonMobil, Moby Group, GardaWorld, Perkins+Will, Stirling Group, G4S, and many others participated in the discussions.

Attendants were treated on Saturday evening to a lecture on Sumerian tablets found in a recent archaeological discovery in Southern Iraq by Professor Eleanor Robson of University College London (UCL) and the British Institute for the Study of Iraq.

(Source: IBBC)

Building on last year’s success, CWC Group is proud to announce the second Kurdistan-Iraq Oil & Gas Conference, taking place 3-5 December 2012 in Erbil, Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

H.E. Ashti Hawrami, the Kurdistan Regional Government's experienced Oil Minister who continues to successfully pioneer Kurdistan's energy sector, has once more given his support and endorsement for the conference.

The industry support for the conference is huge as Kurdistan’s market attracted more than $12bn-worth of non-oil investments from local and foreign investors.

The event is following the hugely successful launch of the first Kurdistan-Iraq Oil & Gas Conference 2011 where Chris Bowers, British Consul General in Erbil, said in one of his speeches: “I have learned that there is a huge appetite in the Kurdistan Region to engage with the international community […]”.

Over 600 delegates, senior industry executives and government representatives from KRG and Federal Iraqi Parliament attended the conference and workshops.

High profile speakers are confirmed for the second Edition, including Ministers from the Kurdistan Regional Government-Iraq and the Iraqi Government together with senior industry representatives.

Key Speakers include:

• H.E. Nechirvan Barzani, the Prime Minister of Kurdistan, KRG-Iraq
• H.E. Barham Salih, Former Prime Minister of Kurdistan, KRG-Iraq
• H.E. Dr Rowsch N Shaways, Deputy Prime Minister, Iraqi Government
• H.E. Dr Ashti Howrami, Minister of Natural Resources, KRG-Iraq

Following the conference will be two workshops running at the same time on Wednesday 5 December. The Legal Workshop will be on capitalising on investment opportunities in the upstream in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq with special focus on the legal regime and understanding of laws and contracts.

The Technical Workshop will cover most of the key areas of operation, production, processing and management in the petroleum industry from a technical and practical approach.

Sponsors confirmed so far are: Gulf Keystone as Principal Independent, Oil & Gas Management Service Group as Principal Service, UB Holding as Principal Downstream, GEnel Energy International, Marathon Oil Corporation, DanaGas, Repsol, OMV, DNO, Hess, Oryx Petroleum, MOL, Tenaris, Viking International, Talisman Energy, RPS Energy, GardaWorld and Technology Partners as Sponsors.

GardaWorld, the Security Solutions business unit focused on emerging markets, announced today it has instituted an Instructor Development Course for its local national staff in Kurdistan designed to facilitate the training of local nationals in a broad range of security-related services and skills. Upon successfully completing the Course, graduates receive a UK City & Guilds 7300 certification, an internationally recognized qualification.

GardaWorld is the largest private security provider in Iraq's Kurdistan region, having established operations there in 2003 serving the then nascent oil and gas industry. Today the company's clients include several of the region's leading diplomatic missions, many oil and gas exploration companies and their service partners, and global engineering groups.

Administered by a UK City & Guilds training provider, the "Train the Trainer" program teaches local national staff how to provide instruction in the skills and practices essential to performing the duties of an operative working in the commercial security and journey management sector throughout Iraq's Kurdistan region.

Course material covered includes basic instructional techniques, how to plan & prepare a lesson, identifying learning outcomes and how to achieve them followed by the assessment of the students' needs. The courses are based on the skills required to deliver the highest standards of commercial security including access control, communications and reporting, first aid training, corporate social responsibility and emergency response procedures.

Other course offerings give instructor training for driving including defensive and safety driving techniques and Team Leader/Supervisor training, providing the skills and practices required by operators on the ground.

"This initiative enables GardaWorld to deploy professionally trained local national instructors to provide high-quality training to our local national staff and clients throughout Kurdistan," notes Julian Allan, GardaWorld's Regional Director for Kurdistan. "Graduates of this program will enable us to increase the training we provide to our local national staff, enhancing their skills and capabilities to provide essential services to our clients."

"GardaWorld distinguishes itself with our strong belief in and culture of local engagement," adds GardaWorld President Oliver Westmacott. "We encourage our local national professionals to build rewarding careers with our company while supporting the economic growth and vitality of the Region with the services they deliver to our clients. This important new training initiative underscores our ongoing commitment to Kurdistan, its people and its future."