Rafidain Bank Launches New SME Financing Round
By John Lee. State-owned Rafidain Bank has launched the 59th round of its "Leadership and Excellence" initiative to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). According to the bank, the new round allocates a total of IQD 1 billion (approximately $763,000) to 93 beneficiaries. The programme forms part of the entrepreneurship financing initiative supported by the Central […]
World Bank Sanctions Turkish Firm Over Corruption in Iraq
By John Lee. The World Bank has imposed a sanction of debarment with conditional release on the Turkish company Aktif Elektroteknik San ve Tic A.S. following findings of corrupt and fraudulent practices in Iraq. It said the company has been debarred for a minimum period of one year and three months. The firm may only be […]
UNDP Contract for Civil Society Empowerment Specialist
By John Lee. Rana Fadwa Sameer Adeeb Al-Dabbagh has won a contract with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for "Civil Society Empowerment Specialist." Ref: 10514918/UNDP-IRQ-01986. Contract value is stated as $73,158. (Source: UNGM)
Directorate Change at Genel Energy
By John Lee. Genel Energy has announced that Sir Dominick Chilcott (pictured) has indicated his intention to retire from the Board at the AGM in May 2026. Sir Dominick has served for just under two years at Genel as Non-Executive Director, a member of the Remuneration Committee and the Nomination Committee. Patrick Allman-Ward, Chair of […]
Iraqi Airspace to Remain Closed Until Monday Noon
By John Lee. The Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority (ICAA) has extended the closure of Iraqi airspace to all arriving, departing and transit aircraft until 12:00 noon on Monday. The authority said the decision was taken as a temporary and precautionary measure, based on an ongoing assessment of the security situation and in light of regional […]
Baghdad Int'l Fair 2027 Dates Confirmed
By John Lee. Iraqi General Company for Exhibitions and Commercial Services has confirmed new dates for the 50th Baghdad International Fair, scheduled to take place from 23-29 January 2027. The company, which operates under the Ministry of Trade, said the new schedule replaces the previously planned dates of 1-7 February 2027. Director General Dr Mustafa […]
DNO Confirms Shut Down of Production at Tawke
By John Lee. DNO has confirmed that it has temporarily shut down production and drilling operations on the Tawke license in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, and evacuated its staff, as a result of the Iran-Israel-US war. In a statement contained in its Annual Report 2025, the company said it continues to monitor developments closely […]
Iraq Stock Market Report
Advertising Feature Rabee Securities Iraq Stock Exchange (ISX) market report (trading week ending: 13th March 2026 Please click here to view a table of listed companies and their associated ticker codes. Note: ISX will be closed on Mar. 16, 2026 (Monday) due to a public holiday. The next trading session will be held on Mar. […]
U.S. Refuelling Aircraft Lost in Western Iraq
By John Lee. U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has confirmed the loss of a U.S. KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refuelling aircraft during operations over Iraq. According to a statement issued on 12th March 2026, the incident occurred in friendly airspace during Operation Epic Fury and involved two aircraft. One of the aircraft went down in western Iraq, […]
Iraq Condemns Attacks on Oil Tankers in Territorial Waters
By John Lee. Iraq's State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO) has expressed strong concern following attacks on two oil tankers operating within Iraqi territorial waters. According to SOMO, the tanker SAFESEA VISHNU, flying the flag of the Marshall Islands and chartered by an Iraqi contracting company, and the tanker ZEFYROS, flying the Maltese flag and carrying condensate […]
Iraqi Cabinet Approves Procurement of Anti-Drone Defences
By John Lee. Iraq's Ministry of Interior has been authorised to contract with the Military Industrialization Authority (MIA) to purchase a system designed to counter unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). According to the Prime Minister's Office, the Council of Ministers approved granting the ministry the authority to conclude the contract as part of efforts to strengthen Iraq's […]
Regional Confrontation "Chokes Iraq's Energy Lifelines"
From Amwaj Media. Any opinions expressed are those of the author(s), and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Deep Dive: Mounting regional confrontation chokes Iraq's energy lifelines Iraq is in crisis as a nationwide oil and gas production shutdown has put the future of the country's economy in flux. This comes […]



