The latest news from Kurdistan – security updates, reconstruction and more – brought to you by Iraq Business News.
By John Lee. Germany's new Consul General in Erbil, Klemens Semtner (pictured), has arrived in Erbil to take up his post. According to a statement from the German Consulate in Erbil: "Awaiting final agreement from the Iraqi government, he is ready to start working to strengthen relations with KRI." (Source: German Consulate in Erbil)
By Ali Mamouri for Al-Monitor. Any opinions expressed are those of the author(s), and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. US backs Iraqi progress on budget deal with Kurdistan Region The Trump administration says it supports Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi's progress so far in working out a budget agreement with […]
Iraqi Kurdish authorities should cease harassing broadcaster NRT, release journalist Ahmed Zakhoy without charge, and allow the outlet to report freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has said. Yesterday, agents of the Asayish intelligence agency, affiliated with the ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party, raided NRT's office in the western city of Duhok, according to a […]
By Joe Snell for Al Monitor. Any opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Outraged after months of not receiving salaries, regular electricity outages and a failure to provide local business bailouts, protests erupted last week in northern Iraq against the Kurdistan Regional […]
By John Lee. Iran is reportedly ready to start technical negotiations with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) over the opening of two important free trade zones. Mehdi Shushtari, Iran's Consul-General in Sulaimani, told Rudaw the preliminary work at Parvizkhan and Bashmakh border crossings has already been completed. Click here to read the full story. (Source: […]
By John Lee. KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani recently laid the foundation stone of a food industry zone in Duhok. In a statement, PM Barzani said: "Our promise is to develop other sectors of the economy and end our dependence on a single source of revenue. "Better infrastructure will benefit the whole of Kurdistan. Our […]
By John Lee. A new 300-megawatt steam power plant has been recently opened in Khabat, on the outskirts of Erbil. The plant, built in partnership with South Korean companies POSCO and the Korean National Oil Company (KNOC), adds 10 percent to the region's electricity capacity. Speaking at the opening ceremony, KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani […]
By John Lee. KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani recently laid the foundation stone for a new 100-metre wide highway in Slemani (Sulaymaniyah). The 146-kilometre road will be built in three phases through a cost-sharing arrangement between the KRG and the Qaiwan Group. The first stage, valued at IQD 400 billion ($336 million), is planned to […]
Oryx Petroleum Corporation has announced that the Corporation's two largest shareholders have informed the Corporation that Zeg Oil and Gas Ltd. acquired control of the Corporation from AOG Upstream BV on July 23, 2020 in the context of the previously announced transaction. The acquisition was conditional upon and subsequent to the closing of the Loan […]
By John Lee. The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) is preventing about 1,200 Arab families from returning home to 5 villages more than 6 years after the area was retaken from the Islamic State (also known as ISIS), Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Sunday. KRG authorities have allowed Kurdish residents in neighboring villages, in the […]
This article has been originally published in the GIZ magazine 'akzente' at https://akzente.giz.de/en/artikel/iraqs-digital-innovators. It is reprinted here by kind permission of GIZ. A new generation of young Iraqi entrepreneurs are confronting the country's challenges, even during the coronavirus pandemic. Text und Fotos: Olivia Cuthbert The streets are eerily silent in Mosul's old city. A fierce […]
By Yerevan Saeed for Al Jazeera. Any opinions expressed here are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Coronavirus could cause US to lose Iraqi Kurdish region to China Since the start of the COVID-19 crisis, China has been working to expand its influence over the KRG […]
