Under Threat: Baghdad’s ‘One Thousand and One Nights’ Houses
By Ahmad al-Rubaie. 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. Central Baghdad is famous as the setting for many of the ancient tales in One Thousand And One nights. However many of the houses, located on […]
Weak Iranian Economy Hits Religious Tourism
By Muhammad Jawad Adib for Al-Monitor. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Tourism is the biggest economic resource for Iraq after oil, but the industry's focus on religion in general and on Iranian pilgrims in particular has made the Iraqi tourism sector dependent […]
Oil Output Rises as Leaks Fixed
By John Lee. Oil officials confirmed on Monday that a leaking pipeline in the south of the country had been repaired, but planned work at the al-Basra Oil Terminal (ABOT) was continuing to restrict exports. The leaking pipeline had caused a drop in output from the Rumaila oilfield. Reuters reports that Iraq had restored normal […]
Nineveh Authorises Governor to Sign Oil Deals
By John Lee. The provincial council of Nineveh has reportedly granted its governor the power to sign deals with foreign oil firms independently of Baghdad, which rejected the move as unconstitutional. a predominantly Sunni Muslim governorate in Iraq's northwest, is following the example of the autonomous Kurdistan region, which has pursued an increasingly independent energy […]
Hill Urges Contractors to Come to Iraq
By John Lee. Hill International has said it expects to see big growth in demand for construction work in Iraq, and wants to encourage more large international contractors to work in the country. Its senior vice-president and managing director of Middle East operations, Mohammed Al Rais (pictured), told Construction News: "We do not see the […]
50 Water/Sewage Projects Planned
By John Lee. Iraq's Minister for Municipalities and Public Works has told Reuters that the country is to spend $1.5 billion annually for two to three years on 50 water and sewerage projects, which will be open to work by foreign contractors. "We will ask companies to bid for them in 2014 ... By the end […]
Minister Declares "Housing Crisis"
By John Lee. Iraq's Minister of Construction and Housing has admitted that the country is likely to complete only 5 percent of the 2.5 million homes it needs to build by 2016 to satisfy demand. Mohamed Sahib al-Daraji [Mohammed Al-Deraji] (pictured) told Reuters that only 130,000 of those homes would actually be built: 30,000 by […]
Iraq Bans White Cement from Iran
By John Lee. Global Cement reports that Iraq has banned imports of Iranian white cement from the Iranian border towns of Shalamcheh and Chazabeh. Sadeq Sava'edi, the deputy head of Khuzestan's Cement Exporters Union, told the ISNA news agency that Iraq is still importing grey cement and other construction materials, adding that Iran exports 8000 […]
BP, CNPC get $4.5bn Rumaila Payment
By John Lee. BP and China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) have received a total of $4.5 billion until the end of 2012 for their investments in the Rumaila oil field, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal. A senior Iraqi oil official told the newspaper that Baghdad has paid a total of $8.5 […]
Bulgaria Names Official Air Carrier to Iraq
Bulgarian government has officially chosen Balkan Holidays Airlines (BH Air) as the official airline between Bulgaria and Iraq. The cabinet authorized the airline to fly routes agreed under the Agreement on Air Transport between the Government of the Republic of Bulgaria and the Government of the Republic of Iraq, signed on 15 November 1966 in Sofia. […]
Foreign Minister Receives Irish Ambassador's Credentials
Iraqi Foreign Minister, Hoshyar Zebari, has received the credentials of the newly-appointed non-resident Ambassador of Ireland to Iraq, Dr Niall Holohan. During the meeting, the two sides discussed relations between the two countries, and the Minister urged the Irish Ambassador to open an Embassy in Iraq. Based in Riyadh, Dr Holohan also serves as Irish […]
Spain Aims to Strengthen Relations with Kurdistan
The Deputy Head of Mission of the Spanish Embassy in Iraq, Mr. Ramon Molina Llado, met Minister Falah Mustafa yesterday to seek ways of further developing the existing relationship between Spain and the Kurdistan Region. During their meeting, Mr Llado underlined the importance that his government places on its ties with Kurdistan and expressed hope […]