By John Lee. The Ministry of Trade has held talks with the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) on launching an integrated business accelerators programme to support small and medium-sized enterprises with high growth potential. GIZ discussed with the Ministry's Private Sector Development Department the proposed framework for designing and implementing the programme, including evaluation […]
From United Nations Iraq: Over sixty young innovators, including many talented young women, gathered at the American University of Iraq - Baghdad (AUIB) for the Green Iraqi Innovators Conference and Competition. The event was co-organized by the UN Youth Advisory Council (UNYAC) and the Green Club at AUIB, in collaboration with the United Nations in […]
By John Lee. Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani announced on Wednesday the launch of the Basmat (Fingerprint) Initiative, which provides soft loans for women to establish small and medium-sized projects, in cooperation with several national banks. Al-Sudani praised the efforts of all those who contributed to this national initiative, which aims to enhance women's participation […]
By John Lee. Prime Minister Mohammed Shiaa Al-Sudani has announced that 4th March will officially be recognised as National Entrepreneurship Day in Iraq. The declaration was made during the opening of the second "Riyada" (Entrepreneurship) Conference and Exhibition in Baghdad on Saturday. Al-Sudani praised the "Riyada" initiative as a key element of his government's economic […]
By John Lee. The International Labour Organization (ILO) has launched the Credit Guarantee Fund to empower small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Iraq. The scheme is a partnership with the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (MoLSA), with funding from the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) through the German Development Bank (Kreditanstalt […]
By John Lee. Kevir Entertainment, the first Kurdish-led video game studio, has presented its debut title at Gamescom in Cologne, Germany - the world's largest gaming convention. The Duhok-based studio, founded in 2023, developed its flagship game Operation Stutter after joining the inaugural Orange Corners KRI Accelerator in Erbil, where it refined its business model […]
By John Lee. Iraq's state-owned Rafidain Bank has announced the release of the tenth tranche of its "Entrepreneurship and Excellence" initiative, financing 80 projects with 1 billion Iraqi dinars each. This brings the total number of projects funded since the programme's launch to 1,735, with cumulative financing of 22.94 billion dinars. The initiative, launched under […]
From the International Labour Organization (ILO): Iraq launches business registration guide to promote formalization and decent work The guide is a practical resource for entrepreneurs and micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), offering a clear, step-by-step process to register their businesses. Iraq's Ministry of Trade, in cooperation with the International Labour Organization (ILO) and with […]
By John Lee. Zain Group has announced the regional expansion of its flagship startup accelerator, Zain Great Idea (ZGI 2025), now open to innovators in Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and UAE. The program is powered by Zain Ventures, the Group's venture capital arm, and ZainTECH, its digital solutions enterprise. For the first time […]
By John Lee. The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) has supported the Central Bank of Iraq (CBI) and the Iraqi Private Banks League (IPBL) in launching the Access to Finance Guide, co-funded by the European Union (EU) and the Federal Republic of Germany. The initiative forms part of the Team Europe Initiative TAEUFIQ. The […]
By John Lee. Prime Minister Mohammed Shiaa Al-Sudani chaired a meeting on Sunday to follow up on the implementation of the government's "Riyada" initiative and the disbursement of youth loans for qualified applicants. Al-Sudani highlighted the initiative's positive reception among young people, describing it as a foundation for a new labour market reality, encouraging private […]
By John Lee. Central Bank of Iraq (CBI), in cooperation with the International Labour Organization (ILO), the Iraqi Company for Bank Guarantees (ICBG), and several Iraqi banks, has provided significant financial and training support to displaced persons and host communities in Nineveh and Duhok governorates under the Afaaq programme. The initiative has since been replicated […]
