FAT Brands to Open 10 New Stores in Iraq
By John Lee. FAT (Fresh. Authentic. Tasty.) Brands Inc., parent company of Great American Cookies and Marble Slab Creamery, has announced a development agreement to open ten co-branded stores across Iraq over the next five years. The partnership is with Eric Wilson, a 27-year U.S. military veteran who previously served in Iraq. Taylor Wiederhorn, Chief […]
Turkmenistan, Iraq sign MoU on Energy Sector
By John Lee. The fourth round of political consultations between the Republic of Iraq and the Republic of Turkmenistan was held on Monday, 20 October 2025, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Baghdad. The Iraqi delegation was headed by Ambassador Mohammed Hussein Bahr Al-Ulum, Deputy Foreign Minister for Bilateral Relations, while the Turkmen side […]
KOICA Strengthens Iraq-Korea Ties
By John Lee. The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and the KOICA Alumni Association in Iraq (KAAI) held their 2025 Annual General Assembly in Baghdad on 16 October to celebrate the graduation of a new group of Iraqi trainees who completed KOICA's development programmes. The event was attended by H.E. Lee Jun-il, Ambassador of the […]
IMF Upgrades Iraq Forecasts
By John Lee. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has revised its forecast for GDP growth in Iraq upwards, and its forecast for inflation downwards. According to its latest World Economic Outlook, real GDP is expected to grow by 0.5 percent this year (up from a fall of 0.2 percent estimated in April), and 3.6 percent […]
Iraq and European Investment Bank discuss Economic Cooperation
By John Lee. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Fuad Hussein met on Monday, 20 October 2025, with Gelsomina Vigliotti, Vice-President of the European Investment Bank (EIB), at the Bank's headquarters in Luxembourg. The discussions focused on strengthening economic cooperation between Iraq and the EIB and expanding partnership in the fields of development […]
Ministry of Planning Discusses Iraq's Economic Plan with KBR
By John Lee. Iraq's Ministry of Planning held an expanded meeting on last week with experts and consultants from KBR to discuss the implementation of the second phase of Iraq's Comprehensive Economic Plan [Vision 2050], a national vision extending to 2050 aimed at establishing a diversified and sustainable economy to drive the country's development. The […]
Trump Appoints Special Envoy to Iraq
By John Lee. US resident Donald Trump has announced that Mark Savaya will serve as Special Envoy to the Republic of Iraq. Trump said that Savaya's deep understanding of the Iraq-U.S. relationship, and his connections in the region, will help advance the interests of the American people. Savaya was a key player in Trump's campaign […]
Iraq Designates 4th March as National Entrepreneurship Day
By John Lee. Prime Minister Mohammed Shiaa Al-Sudani has announced that 4th March will officially be recognised as National Entrepreneurship Day in Iraq. The declaration was made during the opening of the second "Riyada" (Entrepreneurship) Conference and Exhibition in Baghdad on Saturday. Al-Sudani praised the "Riyada" initiative as a key element of his government's economic […]
Iraq Participates in Annual IMF / World Bank Meetings in DC
By John Lee. Iraq's Minister of Finance, Taif Sami Mohammed, along with the Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Iraq (CBI) and their accompanying delegation, participated in the annual meetings of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), held in Washington from 13th to 18th October 2025. The meetings focused on […]
PM launches Baghdad Int'l Hospital Project with Qatari Investment
By John Lee. Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shiaa Al-Sudani has laid the foundation stone for the Baghdad International Hospital, to be developed by Apex Health, a subsidiary of Qatar's Estithmar Holding [Qatari Investment Holding Company]. Al-Sudani welcomed the Qatari delegation and praised the project as a new chapter in bilateral cooperation, recalling the visit of […]
GE to Build Iraq's Largest Gas-Fired Power Plant in Basra
By John Lee. The Ministry of Electricity has announced the signing of a contract for the implementation of the Al-Faw Gas Power Plant project in Basra - the largest investment-based gas-fired station in southern Iraq. The 3,000-megawatt combined-cycle plant will be built by GE and will include four gas turbines and two steam units. It […]
Iraq Bans Roblox
By John Lee. Iraq's Ministry of Communications has announced a nationwide ban on the online game Roblox following a ruling by the Federal Supreme Court (FSC). The Ministry said the decision was based on extensive monitoring and analysis that identified several security, social, and behavioural risks associated with the game. These include exposure of children […]