The Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development (ACTED) reports that 93% of entrepreneurs involved in its pilot apprenticeship scheme in Thi Qar [Dhi Qar] Governorate reported satisfaction with it, according to survey results assessing the scheme’s overall economic benefit and impact. Other preliminary findings are similarly positive: 69% of trainer employers reported that they increased […]
The year 2012 has not begun well for Iraq. Levels of violence rose in the country last week, with at least 107 people killed and 300 injured in nationwide incidents. Several of the latest bombings have targeted pilgrims gathering in the centre of the country to mark Arba’een. The holy religious period is currently at […]
The Provincial Council of Thi Qar [Dhi Qar] has announced that the ministry of electricity has approved the award of a contract to build a 500-megawatt power station to a local company. Aswat al-Iraq reports that the council expects the work to start this month, after verifying the company's records and abilities. The contract had […]
Italy’s energy giant Eni is still interested in investing in the Nassiriya oilfield, Italy's ambassador to Iraq has said. Ambassador Gerardo Caranti was visiting Iraq to evaluate the progress of several projects and to study future suggestions. "We have several projects in Iraq at a cost of more than $2 billion," he told Aswat al-Iraq […]
Overview Conditions continue to worsen in Iraq, with civil unrest gripping cities from Arbil in the north to Basrah in the south over the past week. As well as demonstrations in Kurdistan there has also been a lesser reported rise in ethnic tensions around the city of Kirkuk. The past week has also seen a […]
Overview Levels of violence have been rising in Iraq over the past four weeks. The increase has been gradual, but consistent and last week saw more than 40 attacks reported countrywide for the first time since mid-December. Recent days have seen a particularly concerning rise in militant activity and social tensions in the northern city […]
Overview Levels of violence rose last week in Iraq as Shi'ahs marked al-'Ashura. Pilgrims travelling to the holy city of Karbala were attacked on several occasions, in Baghdad and the central provinces, although Karbala itself saw little in the way of violence. The police arrested numerous suspected militants ahead of the event and many potentially […]
The governor of the province of Dhi-Qar held has announced that 17 infrastructure projects worth more than 185 billion dinars [$160m] have been granted to local companies, according to Aswat al-Iraq. Taleb al-Hassan told the news agency that “the province will implement another batch of projects in the regions and municipalities which have not witnessed […]
Iraq's oil ministry announced on Friday that it would begin drilling for oil in the southern Gharraf oil fields by the end of the year. Officials said initial production levels of 50,000 barrels per day from eight oil wells are expected. Malaysia's state-owned oil company Petronas and the Japan Petroleum Exploration Company (Japex) signed a […]
The technical assistant of head of Dhi Qar provincial council, Abdul Hussein Hajar, revealed that the Defense Ministry approved the allocation of part of Al Imam Ali air base to build a civil airport, subject to the approval of the Transport Ministry. The airport construction requires further legal and technical investigations in order to be […]
The head of the investment and strategy committee of Dhi Qar provincial council, Ahmad Taha, announced that a new round of investment licenses will be awarded soon to foreign and Arab firms. The licensing round will include waste recycling, environment, electricity and gas stations projects. Al SumariaTV also reported that "oil refineries will be established […]
