By John Lee. Iraq's Minister of Transport, Mr. Razzaq Muhaibis Al-Saadawi, officially reopened the Baghdad-Ramadi railway in Anbar province last week, marking a significant milestone after the line had been inactive for 20 years due to terrorism. A lengthy press release from the Ministry gave few details of the project; it included pictures of the […]
By John Lee. Iraq's Ministry of Agriculture has launched a series of initiatives aimed at increasing the number of high-quality date palms and enhancing date production. Dr. Hadi Hashem al-Yasiri, Director General of the Horticulture Department, announced the establishment of genetic banks to propagate large numbers of superior saplings. The initiative includes tissue culture projects […]
By John Lee. Iraq has increased the rate at which it is installing fiber-optic internet connections. The Ministry of Communications reports that more than 3.5 million FTTH (fiber-to-the-home) connections have been complete so far in 2024. This compares to 2.9 million last year, 1.5 million in 2022, and 276,000 in 2021. (Source: Ministry of Communications)
By John Lee. In 2021 the Ministry of Planning's Central Statistical Organization (CSO) in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and with funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has conducted a study on Micro, Small, and Medium-Enterprises (MSMEs) in Iraq. The Survey covered the three governorates of Baghdad, Basra, […]
By John Lee. Iraq's Minister of Communications, Dr. Hayam Al-Yasiri, announced that Iraq's international telecom transit capacity has increased to "1400G" [presumably 1,400 gigabits per second (Gbps) of bandwidth capacity] by mid-2024. This represents a significant increase on the 10G in previous years. According to a Ministry statement, this generated a revenue of $1.8 million […]
By John Lee. The Iraqi Cabinet has approved the minutes of the technical committee of the Iraqi Railways Company tasked with negotiating with the Spanish company Imathia for the construction of the Basra-Shalamcheh railway line. A statement from the Prime Minister's Office said, "the contract will be finalized, considering the Legal Department's remarks, and the […]
By John Lee. Iraq's Minister of Electricity, Eng. Ziyad Ali Fadel, chaired a technical meeting with Chinese company Huawei to discuss the proposal for a fast-installation solar power plant with a capacity of 100 MW in Karbala. The project is intended to be completed within six months and operational by summer 2025 to help meet […]
By John Lee. Iraq has signed a contract with the Gulf Cooperation Council Interconnection Authority (GCCIA) for the import of electricity. The project aims to enhance Iraq's energy stability and reduce reliance on costly conventional energy sources. The Gulf-Iraq electricity link is expected to supply Iraq with 3.94 TWh (terawatt-hours) annually by 2025 at competitive […]
By John Lee. As part of the Iraqi government's efforts to reform the financial and banking sectors, the Council of Ministers has approved the contracting of Rafidain Bank with K2 Integrity and up to three experts in the fields of compliance, anti-money laundering, and risk management. According to a statement from the Office of the […]
By John Lee. The Iraqi Ministry of Transport has announced a tender for the design and completion of the Baghdad-Baiji railway line, with plans to upgrade the Taji-Baiji section to UIC60 standard gauge. Partially funded by the World Bank under the Emergency Development Project, the contract covers design and construction work to modernize the current […]
By John Lee. The Iraqi Drilling Company (IDC) has successfully completed drilling two oil wells, one in the East Baghdad South field and another in the Bazargan South field (part of the Maysan fields). Deputy General Manager Kazem Habash Khalif stated that the company continues to implement its ambitious plans using advanced drilling techniques while […]
By John Lee. The Administrative Undersecretary of Iraq's Ministry of Transport, Dr. Hazem Radi Al-Hafathi, led a meeting to discuss the activation of a river taxi service in Baghdad. According to a statement from the Ministry, the project aims to establish 22 docking sites along the Tigris River, improving river transport and alleviating traffic congestion […]
