Zain Expands Business Accelerator to Iraq
By John Lee. Zain Group has announced the regional expansion of its flagship startup accelerator, Zain Great Idea (ZGI 2025), now open to innovators in Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and UAE. The program is powered by Zain Ventures, the Group's venture capital arm, and ZainTECH, its digital solutions enterprise. For the first time […]
IDB Launches Iraq's First Smart Banking Branch
By John Lee. International Development Bank (IDB) has announced the opening of Iraq's first smart banking branch, located at its headquarters on Abu Nuwas Street in Baghdad. According to a statement from the bank, the new facility provides customers with a fully digital banking experience, designed to be fast, secure, and integrated, and is available […]
Motorola Launches Devices in Iraq with Al-Watani Telecom
By John Lee. Motorola Mobility, owned by Chinese company Lenovo, has officially launched its devices in Iraq through a partnership with Al-Watani Telecom. Sharay Shams, General Manager for Middle East, Africa, Turkey and CIS at Motorola Mobility, described Iraq as a robust market in the region, with an estimated total addressable market (TAM) of 10 […]
Meta and Google at Iraq's First Internet Governance Forum
Meta and Google Join Local Stakeholders at Iraq's First Internet Governance Forum Baghdad will host the country's first Internet Governance Forum (IGF) on 30-31 August, bringing together global and local voices to shape Iraq's digital future. Organized under the official United Nations IGF framework, the event marks a milestone in Iraq's engagement with international internet […]
Licence Granted for "Baghdad Hills" Housing Project
By John Lee. The National Investment Commission (NIC) has granted the investment licence for the Baghdad Hills project, one of the largest residential, recreational, and commercial developments in the capital. Located in the Al-Rafeel area of Baghdad, the project will feature 6,333 apartments distributed across 50 towers of 19 floors each, alongside 2,300 standalone villas. […]
CBI Donates $69m for Revitalisation of Al-Rasheed Street
By John Lee. The Central Bank of Iraq (CBI) has announced details of its urban development initiatives for Baghdad's heritage areas, including a donation of more than 90 billion Iraqi dinars [$90 million] to revive Al-Rasheed Street, one of the capital's most famous cultural and tourist landmarks. Plans include the introduction of a tram line […]
Armenia and Iraq discuss Economic Cooperation
By John Lee. The fourth session of the Armenia-Iraq Joint Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation was held in Yerevan on Tuesday 26th August. The meeting was co-chaired by Armenian Minister of Economy Gevorg Papoyan and Iraqi Minister of Agriculture Abbas Al-Maliki. Discussions covered expanding cooperation in trade, industry, agriculture, energy, high technologies, digitalisation, healthcare, infrastructure, […]
Multidimensional Poverty in Iraq - FULL REPORT
By John Lee. The Government of Iraq, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI), has officially launched the Iraq Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) analytical report. The 2024 MPI reveals that poor populations experience 10.8% of total deprivations, particularly in education, housing, and access to […]
CBI Signs Cooperation Agreement with Al-Hadba University
By John Lee. The Central Bank of Iraq (CBI) branch in Mosul has signed a cooperation agreement with Al-Hadba University to strengthen collaboration with academic institutions. The agreement includes delivering lectures on financial inclusion, organising scientific seminars, and supporting the publication of research. The CBI will also provide the university with its latest reports and […]
Iraqi PM emphasises Private Sector Support for Economic Reform
By John Lee. Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' Al-Sudani presided over the Tax Conference for Economic Development and Investment Promotion in Baghdad, stressing that supporting the private sector is central to Iraq's economic reform agenda. He highlighted the government's commitment to providing an attractive environment for investors, implementing global business and taxation standards, and ensuring flexibility […]
Sindibad - Iraq's First All-in-One Travel Platform
Sindibad - Iraq's First All-in-One Travel Platform Have you ever experienced the exhausting hassle of traditional travel planning? Running between offices to book a ticket, struggling to find the right hotel, or dealing with complicated visa procedures? Those days are over. Sindibad is the first and most comprehensive Iraqi travel platform, giving you control over […]
Guide: Access to Finance for Iraqi Entrepreneurs
By John Lee. The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) has supported the Central Bank of Iraq (CBI) and the Iraqi Private Banks League (IPBL) in launching the Access to Finance Guide, co-funded by the European Union (EU) and the Federal Republic of Germany. The initiative forms part of the Team Europe Initiative TAEUFIQ. The […]