The latest news from Kurdistan – security updates, reconstruction and more – brought to you by Iraq Business News.
UAE-based Starlight Airlines, the largest cargo operator to and out of Iraq, has entered into an agreement with Emirates SkyCargo to launch cargo operations between its Sharjah hub and Erbil in the Kurdistan region of Iraq. Under the agreement, the service operates a Boeing 777 freighter to Erbil, twice a week initially, possibly increasing to […]
Levels of violence fell in Iraq last week. At least 19 people were killed and 55 injured in nationwide incidents. This is a relatively low figure for the country. There was a decline in bombings and shootings countrywide. There were no suicide bombings or abductions reported, although a woman was rescued from captivity during a […]
The Kurdistan Regional Government's (KRG) Minister of Sports and Youth, Kawa Mahmoud, has announced that Spanish soccer club Real Madrid is to open four soccer schools in the region. According to a report from AKnews, the opening of the schools has been seen by officials in Kurdistan Region as a significant project that will greatly […]
Foreign oil companies are flocking into Kurdistan, finding new oil fields and bringing hopes that the country could become a big oil producer on its own. Javier Blas, commodities editor of the Financial Times, travels across the Kurdstan region of Iraq to check whether the hopes of many oil executives are for real: Foreign oil […]
ExxonMobil is to be excluded from Iraq's fourth licensing auction because of its deals in Iraqi Kurdistan. "The Iraqi government has decided that Exxon won't be allowed to participate in the next oil and gas bidding round," Faisal Abdullah, a spokesman for Iraq's Deputy Prime Minster for Energy, Hussein al-Shahristani, said on Monday. "We are […]
Following Total's statement on Friday that it was considering possible investments in Iraqi Kurdistan, Deputy Prime Minister for Energy Hussain al-Shahristani warned the French major on Sunday that it would bear the "full consequences" if it did. "The position of the Iraqi government will be the same as with the other oil companies, that no company […]
On his first visit to Kurdistan, the Greek Ambassador to Iraq, Dr Mercourios B. Karafotias, said that he was surprised to see the level of progress that is being made in the Kurdistan Region. In his meeting with President Masoud Barzani on Tuesday, the Ambassador assured the President that the Hellenic Republic wants to play […]
Reuters reports that Iraq has allowed the privately-owned Korean firm SK Innovation to bid in its fourth energy auction, after the company sold its stake in the Bazian block in Kurdistan. The stake was sold to the state-owned Korea National Oil Corporation (KNOC), which was already barred from participating due to its stakes in both […]
An economic forum will be held in Dubai in two months time in the hope of fostering economic development in the Kurdistan Region and attractiong more investors to the booming regional economy. Shilan Khanaqa, Kurdistan Region's representative to the United Arab Emirates told AKnews that the two-day conference will be held under the auspices of […]
By Chris Bowers, British Consul General in Erbil. This article was originally published by Rudaw, and is re-published with permission by Iraq Business News. After months of waiting, we look to be in the final stages of government reshuffle. Around the world that is a time when the political system takes a deep breath, scans […]
The Sunday Times, citing unidentified industry sources, reports that French oil and gas producer Total is close to securing exploration rights over several exploration blocks in Iraqi Kurdistan. A deal could be announced within weeks, according to the newspaper. Chevron and ConocoPhillips are also believed to be competing for rights in the semi-autonomous region, following […]
AKE has compiled statistics covering violence in Iraq over the course of 2011. The average week saw 56 attacks, many of which included bombings targeting civilians on an indiscriminate basis. The Iraqi security forces also suffered numerous attacks and will likely remain a major focus for militant groups now that the US military has withdrawn […]
