The Future of Renewables in the Middle East and North Africa
On Wednesday 7th September, the Middle East Association will be holding a Business Briefing on ‘The Future of Renewables in the Middle East and North Africa’ at Bury House, the third event of our Energy Series. This briefing will give expert analysis on the opportunities, risks and challenges of this important emerging energy sector, as […]
A New Iraq or Perspective Updated?
By T. Keyzom Ngodup, co-founder and Executive Director at Ideas sYnergy, an Iraq based private sector development consulting company. A New Iraq or Perspective Updated: First Mover Advantage? Sipping my iced coffee at Costa, a coffee shop in Erbil, I (and everyone else at the coffee house) noticed with insouciance a group of young American […]
Weekly Security Update for 28th July 2011
There was a reduction in overall levels of violence in Iraq last week, making it the quietest week in the country since February. Baghdad actually had the quietest week so far in 2011, which is promising, except that the authorities have warned that the lull is likely to be temporary. It may be the case […]
Go Elephant Hunting in Iraq
Despite news of increasing security problems, Iraq has attracted as much new investment (in terms of deals announced) in the first half of this year as it did in all of 2010. And the raw figures are impressive; according to Dunia Frontier Consultants, $42 billion was attracted to Iraq last year, with $45 billion announced […]
Iraq Aims to Lift 2012 Investment Budget to $51bn
Iraq needs to boost its 2012 investment budget to as much as 60 trillion dinars ($51 billion) from a planned 40 trillion dinars, to allow funds for new projects, the Planning Minister, Ali al-Shukri (pictured), told Reuters in an interview on Monday. "What is being put forth is 40 trillion Iraqi dinars (as the investment […]
China’s Iraq Investment
By By Mu Chunshan. Originally published in The Diplomat, and re-produced with permission by Iraq Business News. The visit by Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to China didn’t just fail to grab much international media attention – there was also little coverage in the Chinese media, too. Most Chinese associate Iraq with Saddam Hussein and […]
Trailing Iraq's Cigarette Smugglers
Bandits, border guards and big profits NIQASH’s correspondent follows the illegal nicotine trail, as he joins local smugglers taking cigarettes into Syria. Dodging border guards and bandits, he meets the locals risking their lives to deliver millions of profitable packs to smokers every day. Several days ago, two soldiers and a member of the public […]
Kuwait 'Stealing Iraqi Oil'
An Iraqi MP has stoked rising political tensions with Kuwait, by claiming that Kuwait has been stealing Iraqi oil through slant-drilling. According to the report from the Kuwait Times, he emphasized that the parliamentary committee, of which he is a member, will investigate the issue. MP Oday Awwad, a member of Iraq's parliamentary energy committee, […]
Iraq Plans to Become a Grain Exporter
Iraq’s wheat production will total 1.8 million metric tons this year, and the country is expected to become an exporter of the grain by 2015, Deputy Agriculture Minister, Ghazi al-Abudi, said at a press conference in Baghdad. Bloomberg reports the minister as saying that otput is on course to reach 2.25 million to 2.5 million […]
Iran to Increase Electricity Exports to Iraq
Iran plans to increase its electricity exports to Iraq to 1,250 megawatts, the Iranian Energy Minister Majid Namho told Mehr News Agency on Tuesday. Mehr quoted the Iranian Minister, in a meeting in Tehran with Iraq’s Electricity Minister, Raad Shallal Saeed al-Any [Ra'd Shalal al-Ani], that “Iran’s power exports for Iraq, now estimated at 800 […]
Iraq Oil Exports Up 2% in June
Iraq’s oil ministry says oil exports increased in June by slightly over 2 percent compared to the previous month, according to the Washington Post. Tuesday’s statement says last month oil exports averaged 2.273 million barrels per day (bpd) - up from the 2.225 bpd in May. The sales yielded $7.173 billion with an achieved average […]
$13bn Iraq-US Deal may be Cancelled due to Corruption
An arms deal under which Iraq would buy $13 billion in American weapons has been recommended for cancellation by the Iraqi parliament’s integrity committee, reports AKnews. The deal has been criticized for involving extensive financial corruption. A member of the committee, Aliya Nussaif, told AKnews that the parliament has passed a request by the committee […]