The latest news from Kurdistan – security updates, reconstruction and more – brought to you by Iraq Business News.
Levels of violence fell slightly in Iraq last week, but there were still over 60 separate incidents recorded. Given a slight decline in the number of attacks recorded since July AKE has lowered the security risk rating for the country on Global IntAKE. Violence remains concentrated in Baghdad, Mosul and Kirkuk although attacks were […]
President Masoud Barzani thanked the outgoing Dutch Ambassador to Iraq, Peter van Leeuwen, who was on a farewell visit to the Kurdistan Region on Wednesday, for his exceptional contribution to strengthening the friendship between the people of the Kurdistan Region and the Netherlands. During their meeting in Erbil on Wednesday, President Barzani thanked the ambassador […]
Slovenia’s Foreign Minister Samuel Žbogar yesterday on his first visit to Kurdistan and Iraq met President Masoud Barzani and Kurdistan Regional Government ministers. On a two-day visit as part of an official trip to Iraq, Minister Žbogar and President Barzani discussed the current political and economic developments in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq as a […]
Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, will double its flights from Abu Dhabi to Erbil at the beginning of September. The current twice-weekly service will increase to four services per week, complementing Etihad's daily operation to its other Iraqi destination, Baghdad. Etihad commenced two-class Airbus A320 operations to Erbil in June […]
Levels of violence rose slightly in Iraq last week. Incidents were concentrated along a belt stetching from Ramadi in Anbar province to Ba'qubah in Diyala province, with the majority concentrated in Baghdad. Mosul and Kirkuk in the north also saw a spate of attacks (as per usual). At the time of writing many pilgrims are […]
Erbil property has been one of the best investments in Iraq over the past year. While the ISX is up about 50% over the last twelve months, prices for residential and office space in the Kurdish capital have more than doubled. 600 sq m single detached houses in the city’s Italian Village development, for example, […]
US Deputy Secretary of State Thomas Nides yesterday opened the United States Consulate General in Erbil. He was joined at the ceremony by Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani, Prime Minister Barham Salih, Speaker of Parliament Dr Kamal Kirkuki and other KRG and American senior officials. The solid relationship that the Kurdistan Region has maintained with […]
Shares in DNO International jumped 8% on Tuesday following its report of a more than doubling of reserves for the Tawke oil field in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, as a result of a review and assessment by a firm of independent reservoir engineers. The just completed audit of reserves by France’s Beicip Franlab places […]
Shares in Groundstar Resources closed down 29% on Monday, with Vast Exploration down 54%, following their report of unsteady output at the Qara Dagh - 1 exploration well in Kurdistan, Iraq. Drilling of the Qara Dagh - 1 well has reached a total depth of 3,908 meters, has been log evaluated and, as previously reported, […]
Major U.S. hotel brands are moving into the north of Iraq, a reflection of growing economic development in the Kurdistan region of a country that most U.S. consumer brands have long avoided. Marriott International signed agreements on Sunday with Empire Iraq to manage two new properties in Iraq’s Erbil. The agreements, signed at the newly […]
As an Iraq security analyst I often find that I am writing at length about violence, pain and causes for concern. However, for this blog entry I would like to make what I hope is a welcome exception. I regularly write about how violence has escalated in the north of Iraq, usually in relation to […]
The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Department of Information Technology, in cooperation with the US Army’s J6 Directorate based in Iraq, launched an extensive 12 week training programme in Erbil this week. The goal of the IT Professional Development Programme is to develop local capacity and create a professional foundation for IT managers and staff within […]
