Kurdistan Election Results
By John Lee. The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) has reportedly won the elections for the Kurdistan parliament, which were held on Sunday. The Union of Kurdistan (PUK), came second, followed by New Generation. Turnout was approximately 72 percent. See summary results here from Rudaw. Commentary here from The National. Raw data from the Independent High […]
Iraq Opens 2 New Private-Sector Pharmaceutical Plants
By John Lee. Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed S. Al-Sudani inaugurated two private sector pharmaceutical plants for antibiotics (cephalosporin) and immunosuppressive drugs on Saturday, as part of the government's pharmaceutical localization program, which is a priority in the government's agenda. The Prime Minister inspected the pharmaceutical plant operations, which rely on cutting-edge global technology from the […]
Egypt's ElSewedy Group meets with Iraqi PM
By John Lee. Iraq's Prime Minister, Mohammed S. Al-Sudani, held a meeting on Monday, with Mr. Ahmed ElSewedy, Chairman of Egypt's ElSewedy Group, and a group of Egyptian industrial and commercial company directors, with several of the Prime Minister's advisers. During the meeting, the Prime Minister emphasized the expanding economic cooperation between Iraq and Egypt, […]
Iraq Signs Gas Supply Agreement with Turkmenistan
By John Lee. Iraq's Minister of Electricity, Eng. Ziad Ali Fadel, has signed a significant agreement with Turkmenistan to secure gas supplies for Iraq's power stations. The deal, signed by Iraq's Minister of Electricity and Turkmenistan's Minister of State for Gas Affairs, Maksat Babayev, aims to diversify gas sources and ensure a steady fuel supply […]
UK names New Ambassador to Iraq
By John Lee. Mr Irfan Siddiq OBE has been appointed as the United Kingdom's Ambassador to the Republic of Iraq in succession to Mr Stephen Hitchen who will be transferring to another Diplomatic Service appointment. Mr Siddiq will take up his appointment during March 2025. He is currently British High Commissioner to Cyprus, and has […]
Baghdad International Fair Postponed to Next Year
By John Lee. Iraq's Minister of Trade, Atheer Daoud Al-Ghuraeri, hasannounced that Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani has approved the postponement of the 48th Baghdad International Fair. Originally scheduled from the 1st to the 7th of November 2024, the event will now take place in February 2025. A Ministry statement said the postponement comes in […]
Iraq, Turkey Strengthen Cooperation in Electricity Sector
By John Lee. Iraq's Minister of Electricity, Ziyad Ali Fadel, chaired a strategic meeting with representatives from the Turkish Union of Companies and Contractors to advance cooperation in the electricity sector, following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) during the Turkish president's visit to Iraq. The meeting focused on joint efforts to enhance […]
Iraq grants $69bn in Investment Licences in 18 mths
By John Lee. Speaking at the "Investment Forum for Businessmen and Investors" in Babylon on October 15, the Head of Iraq's National Investment Commission (NIC) highlighted the importance of developing tailored investment maps for each province, ensuring projects meet local needs. Dr. Haider Mohammed Makiyya noted that over $69 billion in investment licenses have been […]
Iraq Initiates Steps to Boost Mining Sector
By John Lee. Iraq's Minister of Industry and Minerals, Dr. Khaled Battal Al-Najm, has issued directives to begin the practical steps for exploring and investing in the country's abundant mineral resources. During a visit to the General Geological Survey Authority, the minister emphasized the need to streamline procedures, reduce bureaucracy, and engage the private sector […]
EY advises on Iraq Banking Reforms, with Focus on Rafidain Bank
By John Lee. Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed S. Al-Sudani chaired a meeting focused on the reform of Iraq's banking sector, particularly Rafidain Bank, with representatives from Ernst & Young (EY) presenting recommendations. Key proposals included updating the bank's legal status, capital structure, and strategy to align with global banking standards. The recommendations will be submitted […]
EdgeNext and Commercis announce Partnership for Iraq Expansion
By John Lee. Cloud infrastructure and edge computing services company EdgeNext has announced a strategic partnership with Commercis, a UK-based connectivity, cybersecurity, and innovative IT solutions provider. According to a press release, this collaboration will enable the expansion of EdgeNext's cloud delivery services throughout Iraq, "bringing transformative improvements to the country's digital landscape." It continues: […]
Iraq's Bumper Wheat Harvest
By Peter McMeekin, of Grain Brokers Australia, for Grain Central. Any opinions expressed are those of the author(s), and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Iraq suffers a wheat-surplus headache Historically a major wheat importer, Iraq is facing an unexpected surplus in 2024-25 after growers planted a record area on the […]