KRG Delegation visits Ankara
Kurdistan Regional Government Spokesperson Safeen Dizayee (pictured) said that yesterday a KRG delegation, headed by Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani and including Minister of Natural Resources Dr. Ashti Hawrami, Minister of Finance and Economy Rebaz Muhammad, and Spokesperson Safeen Dizayee, travelled to Ankara. The delegation held meetings with senior Turkish officials, discussing the cooperation agreement […]
KRG Rejects Dana Gas Statement on Payments
By John Lee. The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has rejected a statement by Abu Dhabi-listed Dana Gas to the effect that the London Court of International Arbitration had awarded the company the right to receive some outstanding payments from the Kurdish government. Dana Gas said on Sunday that its consortium with Crescent Petroleum and Pearl Petroleum […]
Iraqi Parliament Elects Speaker
By John Lee. Iraqi MPs have elected Sunni lawmaker Salim al-Juburi [al-Jabouri] as the new speaker with 194 votes in the 328-seat parliament. According to a report from Al Jazeera, it was unclear whether al-Jubuuri's election indicated that a larger agreement had been struck among political blocs for the posts of president and prime minister. […]
Ba'ath Denies Alliance with Islamic State
By Omar al-Jaffal for Al-Monitor. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Khodair al-Morshedi, the official spokesman for the Iraqi Baath Party and the secretary-general of the Islamic National Front of Iraq, comprising various armed factions, described the Islamic State (IS), formerly known as the Islamic State […]
Video: Sectarian Conflict Threatens Iraq Unity
From Al Jazeera. Any opinions expressed are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Advances by the Islamic State group in recent weeks have driven hundreds of thousands of people from their homes. Many have sought shelter in the northern Kurdish region. But now they're being forced […]
Erbil to Haji Omaran Road Slashes Driving Time
The KRG's Ministry of Housing and Reconstruction is currently building a dual carriageway connecting Erbil to Haji Omaran. Parts of the road, which include tunnels and bridges, do not pass through the old path known as Hamilton Road. After the project is completed, the road between Erbil and Haji Omaran will become a dual carriageway. […]
Dragon Oil Completes Environmental Assessment
By John Lee. In a Trading Statement on Tuesday, Dragon Oil gave the following update on its operations in Iraq: In Iraq, the consortium of Dragon Oil (30%) and Kuwait Energy Corporation (70% and operator) is drilling an exploration well. The well is targeting two prospective reservoirs, which, in case of a discovery, are expected […]
Ergil Completes DNO Summail Contract
By John Lee. Turkish engineering company Ergil has announced that it has successfully completed manufacturing of storage tanks and storage tank equipment for DNO’s Summail Gas Project -- the first gas field developed by DNO in the Kurdistan Region. The scope of the order included supply of insulated amine storage tank, teg storage tank, portable […]
TruckZone Appointed Distributor for Renault Trucks
By John Lee. TruckZone General Trading has been appointed sole distributor for Renault trucks in Iraqi Kurdistan. The company, a division of CarZone Trading Agencies, is currently also the agent for Nissan throughout Iraq. From its base in Erbil it will have full facilities to handle sales, servicing and parts for the full range of […]
No Official Word on Kurdish Freight Ban
By John Lee. A spokesman for Erbil International Airport has told Iraq Business News that there has been no official instruction from Baghdad regarding the blocking of freight flights to airports in Iraqi Kurdistan, but added that there have been emails to airlines confirming that this is the case. "The irony is," said Andrew Jones, […]
Lebanese Exports hit by Iraq Crisis
By John Lee. Fadi Abboud, the former head of the Lebanese industrialists association, has told The Daily Star that Lebanon’s total exports to Iraq will see a sharp decline over the coming months due to the deteriorating security situation in the country. Adding that Iraq is the fifth-largest recipient of Lebanese products, he said that […]
Iraqi Minorities Victims of Sectarian Conflict
By Ali Mamouri for Al-Monitor. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. The continuing conflict between Sunnis and Shiites has caused significant negative effects on minorities in Iraq. During the recent setback, many Christian areas have fallen under the control of the Islamic State (IS, formerly […]