By John Lee. Iraq has expressed interest in deepening economic ties with Italy and broader engagement with European Union member states. Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi met with Italian Ambassador Niccolò Fontana in Baghdad on Sunday, with discussions covering bilateral relations and ways to develop cooperation across multiple sectors. According to the Prime Minister's Office, Ali […]
By John Lee. Iraq's Ministry of Planning has held talks with representatives of the Italian Embassy in Baghdad to discuss ongoing and planned development projects funded by Italy. The meeting was chaired by Dr. Sahir Abd al-Kazim Mahdi, Director General of the Directorate of International Cooperation at the Ministry of Planning, and attended by Rosa […]
By John Lee. The Egyptian Maintenance Company (EMC), commercially known as 'San Masr' or 'San Misr', has won an international tender issued by Eni for the supply of electrical equipment at the Zubair oil field in Basra province. The total contract value is $18.6 million over three years. The contract covers the supply of a […]
By John Lee. Iraq's first industrial-scale photovoltaic (PV) solar module manufacturing facility has opened in Karbala. The Al-Nour Solar Panel Production Plant was developed for the Project Engineering Department of the Al-Abbas Holy Shrine by Italian firm Ecoprogetti Srl, which supplied and installed the complete turnkey production line. The facility has an annual installed capacity […]
By John Lee. Iraq's Ministry of Trade has held a virtual seminar aimed at helping the country's date industry meet European Union requirements and expand export opportunities into European markets. The event, titled "Standards for the Entry of Iraqi Dates into European Markets", was organised by the ministry's Private Sector Development Department, in cooperation with […]
By John Lee. Italian hospital group Gruppo San Donato (GKSD) has reportedly renewed its contract with the Iraqi Ministry of Health to manage the Al-Najaf Al-Ashraf Teaching Hospital in Najaf. According to ANSA, the agreement is valued at $40.5 million per year, and was announced following a meeting between Kamel Ghribi, president of GKSD and […]
By John Lee. A cargo vessel operated by Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) was struck by two projectiles near Umm Qasr on 1st June, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) Centre and MSC. The vessel, the MSC Sariska V, was departing port when the first projectile hit while the pilot was still onboard; […]
By John Lee. Italy's Eni increased its hydrocarbon production in Iraq in 2025, with liquids rising from 10 to 11 million barrels (mmbbl), natural gas from 25 to 30 billion cubic feet (bcf), and total hydrocarbons from 15 to 17 million barrels of oil equivalent (mmboe). According to its latest Annual Report, activity centred on […]
From the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR). Any opinions expressed are those of the author(s), and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Italy strengthens support for refugees in Iraq with a significant contribution UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, welcomes a generous contribution from the Government of Italy, through the Italian Agency […]
By John Lee. The NATO Mission in Iraq (NMI) has relocated all its personnel from Iraq to Europe. In a statement, it confirmed that the final personnel departed Iraq on 20th March, with the mission now continuing from Joint Force Command Naples in Italy. Full statement from NATO: NATO Mission Iraq Posture Adjusted MONS, Belgium - […]
Joint statement from the leaders of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Japan and Canada on the Strait of Hormuz: 19 March 2026 19 March 2026 We condemn in the strongest terms recent attacks by Iran on unarmed commercial vessels in the Gulf, attacks on civilian infrastructure including oil and gas installations, and […]
By John Lee. Energy Intelligence reports that Iraq's state-owned Basra Oil Company (BOC) has subcontracted management of the West Qurna-2 oil field to a consortium of Italian engineering firm Bonatti and local firm Hilal al-Basra [Crescent Basra]. West Qurna-2, operated by Lukoil under a service contract, is fully state-owned. Following recent US sanctions on Lukoil […]
