Pope Welcomed in "Cradle of Civilisation"
By John Lee. Pope Francis was welcomed to Iraq on Friday by President Barham Salih and Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi. Describing Iraq as the "cradle of civilisation", the Pope said Iraq's diversity was a "precious resource on which to draw, not an obstacle to eliminate". He appealed for peace, and said: "May room be made […]
Iraqi Former Minister Jailed
By John Lee. An Iraqi court has sentenced Riyadh Abdul Hamza Abdul Razaq, ex-Minister of Municipalities and Labour, and Hashem Abdul Zahra Aziz, a director of the Ministry, to two years in prison in relation to a "breach of contract" in the supply and installation of 17 asphalt factories. The contract, signed in 2007, was […]
Market Review: "Market Roars Back to Life"
By Ahmed Tabaqchali, CIO of Asia Frontier Capital (AFC) Iraq Fund. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Market Review: "Market Roars Back to Life" The market, after January's 9.3% sell-off, resumed the rally that was ignited by the 22.6% devaluation of the […]
Pope to visit Iraq in Historic First
By Ali Mamouri for Al-Monitor. Any opinions expressed are those of the author(s), and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Pope heads for Iraq in historic first For the first time in history, the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State, Pope Francis, will visit Iraq, […]
Iraq Stock Market Report
Advertising Feature Rabee Securities Iraq Stock Exchange (ISX) market report (week ending: 4th February 2021). Note: ISX will be closed on 7th of March due to lockdown according to the decision of new Supreme Committee for National Health and Safety. Please click here to view a table of listed companies and their associated ticker codes. […]
Iraq tackles Corruption in Currency Auctions
By John Lee. The Iraqi Cabinet held its weekly meeting on Tuesday under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi. Addressing the meeting, the Prime Minister said the reserves of the Central Bank of Iraq (CBI) have increased by $4 billion, adding that the government has been able to tackle what it describes as "the […]
Freedom House: Iraq rated "not free"
By John Lee. Iraq continues to be listed as "not free" in Freedom House's latest Freedom in the World index. Scoring 29 points from a possible total of 100, Iraq does, however, rank considerably better than neighbouring Iran (16), Saudi Arabia (7), and Syria (1). Jordan scores better with 34, while Turkey also comes in […]
Iraq begins COVID Vaccinations
By John Lee. Iraq began Covid-19 (coronavirus) vaccinations on Tuesday, immediately following receipt of its first shipment of vaccines from China's Sinopharm. According to a government statement, the first to be vaccinated are healthcare workers. (Source: Govt of Iraq)
Iraq Oil Exports Rise in February
By John Lee. Iraq's Ministry of Oil has announced initial oil exports for February of 82,877,757 barrels, giving an average for the month of 2.960 million barrels per day (bpd), up from the 2.868 million bpd exported in January. These exports from the oilfields in central and southern Iraq amounted to approximately 79,105,329 barrels, while […]
Fourth Oil Exec Jailed for Iraq Bribery
Paul Bond has today been sentenced to three and half years' imprisonment for conspiring with others to bribe Iraqi public officials to secure lucrative oil contracts in post-occupation Iraq. Earlier this week, Bond, a former senior sales manager at SBM Offshore (SBM), was found guilty on two counts of conspiracy to give corrupt payments following […]
COVID-19 and Environmental Sustainability in Iraq
Impact of COVID-19 on Environmental Sustainability in Iraq Impact of COVID-19 on Environmental Sustainability in Iraq is the fifth in a series released by UNDP on the impact of COVID-19 in Iraq. It emphasizes how the pandemic has exacerbated Iraq's environmental fragility, which was already affected by legacies of conflict, lack of significant public sector and governance reforms, loss of […]
Turkey, Iraq plan new Border Crossing, Rail Link
By John Lee. Iraqi Transport Minister, Nasser Hussain Bandar Al-Shibli, has said that Iraq and Turkey will prioritise the opening of a new border crossing and rail link between the two countries. The statement follows a meeting on Thursday with Turkey's Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, Adil Karaismailoğlu. He said both parties have "defined practical […]