The latest news from Kurdistan – security updates, reconstruction and more – brought to you by Iraq Business News.
By John Lee. Shares in Gulf Keystone Petroleum (GKP) were trading up 5 percent on Monday morning as the company announced that the planned workover on the SH-12 well has been completed safely. Jón Ferrier (pictured), Gulf Keystone's Chief Executive Officer, said: "We continue to successfully manage the challenging macro backdrop and make operational progress. […]
By Michael Rubin, resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, for 1001 Iraqi Thoughts. Any opinions expressed are those of the author(s), and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Will Biden Avoid the Barzani Trap in Iraq? There has never been a U.S. president-elect more well-versed in Kurdish affairs than Joe […]
By Padraig O'Hannelly. A major conference has heard that Iraqi Kurdistan will prioritise a shift towards private enterprise and a more efficient public sector. In his keynote speech to CWC/GFEn's Kurdistan Iraq Economic Forum (KIEF) conference, held online, Kurdistan's Deputy Prime Minister, Qubad Talabani (pictured), said: "We must create an environment to let the private sector […]
By Padraig O'Hannelly. The Kurdistan Regional Government's (KRG) biometric registration program is claimed to have removed more than 16,000 'ghost workers' from the state's payroll. Addressing the CWC/GFEn's Kurdistan Iraq Economic Forum (KIEF) online conference, Kurdistan's Deputy Prime Minister, Qubad Talabani, said: "Building on phase one of our biometric registration program, where every wage-earner was enrolled, […]
By John Lee. The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has expressed concerns and signaled its opposition to legislation put forward by the Iraqi parliament on Thursday that it says would once more cut the Kurdistan Region's share of the federal budget. The Council of Ministers issued the following statement: "The Kurdistan Regional Government commends the Kurdistan […]
Kurdistan's Deputy Prime Minister HE Qubad Talabani to Speak at the Virtual Kurdistan Iraq Economic Forum Inaugural Conference set to navigate the economic future Kurdistan and Iraq Conference will include online sessions available live and on demand for all attendees Delegates will gain insights into the latest policy and project announcements, crucial for successful investment […]
KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Monday headed to Europe to meet with senior European officials to discuss the benefits of increased trade with the Kurdistan Region and to strengthen diplomatic ties. The Prime Minister will lead a government delegation visiting several European countries as part of the Kurdistan Regional Government's roadmap to diversify its […]
DNO ASA, the Norwegian oil and gas operator, today reported boosting Kurdistan output to 113,700 barrels of oil per day (bopd) in the third quarter, reversing declines triggered by oil market convulsions in the wake of Covid-19. Production from the DNO-operated Tawke and Peshkabir fields was up 12 percent from the prior quarter following a […]
US Consul General Robert Waller visited the American University of Kurdistan (AUK) and met with its president, Dr. Randall Rhodes. They announced the "Support to American-Style Higher Education in Iraq" program, with a $4 million grant from the U.S. Department of State. AUK is now partnered with six U.S. universities. This grant will support accreditation […]
By John Lee. French telecoms company Orange Group has reportedly launched legal proceedings against the Iraqi government with the International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), part of the World Bank, for more than $400m that it alleges was expropriated by the country's regulator. The case relates to the company's investment in Korek, the […]
Newly-constructed COVID-19 Isolation Ward opens in Dohuk A 20-bed Isolation Ward designed to handle the most severe COVID-19 patients has been officially opened by the Governor of Dohuk in partnership with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Iraq. Constructed by UNDP and funded by USAID, […]
By John Lee. Iraq's Minister of Oil, Ihsan Abdul Jabbar Ismael [Ihsan Abduljabbar] (pictured) has reportedly proposed setting up a joint oil company to manage the production and export of oil from Iraqi Kurdistan. According to Shafaq News, the new company would be "linked technically and administratively to the presidency of the region and the […]
