Nineveh Signs Urban Planning Deal with British Firm
The Chairman of Nineveh Council said this week that a preliminary agreement has been signed with a British company to plan the reconstruction of areas badly damaged by bombing in the Iraqi war. Jaber Abed Rabbo told AKnews that the deal will ensure that the reconstruction of the province conforms to the latest standards of […]
CEOs Attending IAECL Cargo Exhibition
State authorities and CEOs of all major airports in Iraq will congregate at the Iraq airports expansion ,cargo ,logistics conference. The Ministers and the CEOs who have expressed their interest to participate are , Minister of Housing & Reconstruction- H.E.Kamaran Ahmed Abdullah , Minister of Interior, Kurdistan - H.E.Karim Sinjari,Minister of Trade and Industry - […]
Terrorist Attack Shuts Baiji Refinery
Gunmen shot their way into Baiji [Bayji] refinery early on Saturday, killing five members of staff, according to the Washington Post. Guards killed two of the gunmen, but the rest escaped. The gang set off explosions that forced the facility to shut down for at least two weeks, officials said. Baiji, situated about 150 miles […]
Iraq Protests Continue on Saturday
Al Jazeera reports that at least 12 protesters were shot dead by security forces during Friday's 'day of rage', during which at least 17 demonstrations were held throughout Iraq. Iraqi security forces detained hundreds of people, including prominent journalists, artists and intellectuals, according to a report from the Washington Post. Four journalists described being rounded […]
Akkas Gas Deal Delayed Again
The long-awaited signing of the deal to develop Iraq's Akkas gas field in Anbar province has been delayed again. An Iraqi Oil Ministry spokesman said it was delayed because of disagreements about what the local government gets from the deal, according to Associated Press reports. An initial agreement to develop the 5.6 trillion cubic foot […]
Jail for British Sanction-Breaker (71)
Riad El-Taher has been jailed for 10 months for making illegal payments to the Iraqi Government of Saddam Hussein in contravention of United Nations sanctions and UK law Riad El-Taher, a British citizen aged 71 from Esher, Surrey, has admitted that in 2001 he made four illegal payments totalling over $500,000 to the Iraqi Government […]
Will protests derail the ISX?
The demonstrations seen throughout Iraq over the past two weeks have so far had no discernable effect on the ISX. As of February 24, the RSISX index had risen 19% year-to-date to a new high for the year. Iraq is now the region’s top performer. This strong performance is not hard to understand. In contrast […]
Friday's Day of Rage in Iraq
Friday, billed as a 'day of rage' in Iraq, saw protests throughout the country despite Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki urging people to not participate in the protests for security reasons. Baghdad: The center of the city was 'virtually locked down' on Friday. Demonstrators trying to get across a bridge going from the square to the […]
Detailed New Briefing Paper on Iraq
The United Nations has prepared a comprehensive Briefing Book on Iraq, and presented it to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. The book is comprised of two parts: The first part addresses key policy issues, including: macroeconomic challenges, development planning and prioritization, governance and public sector reform, anti-corruption, private sector development, social protection and the challenges of […]
Iraq Visa Requirements Change
By Marko Lukic. Iraq's once easy-going visa regime has tightened up, leading to protests from foreign ambassadors. In early 2010, the visa process to enter Iraq was both liberal and easily accessible, taking only around 24 to 72 hours to go through the relevant procedures and paperwork. Officials were so flexible in fact, that expats […]
MSMEs – A Prerequisite for Inclusive Economic Development
By T. Keyzom Ngodup, co-founder and Executive Director at Ideas sYnergy, an Iraq based private sector development consulting company. Recent demonstrations across the country in Sulimaniya, Kirkuk, Basra, Kut and other provinces are indicative of the growing disenchantment among the youth who are often jobless or underemployed despite Iraq’s tremendous oil and gas resources. According […]
Weekly Security Update for 24th February 2011
Overview Violence continues to creep up in Iraq. As illustrated in this week’s map of incidents, even Kurdistan has not been spared, with a series of protests taking place in urban areas around the region. Indeed the whole country is being rocked by unrest, with a series of demonstrations planned for Friday morning. Personnel should […]