By John Lee. According to a statement from the Ministry of Trade, the Private Sector Development Department will develop specialised training programmes for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and strengthen private sector participation, in line with a resolution of the Industrial Coordination Council. The meeting brought together representatives from: Ministry of Industry Ministry of Planning […]
By John Lee. State-owned Rafidain Bank has launched the 59th round of its "Leadership and Excellence" initiative to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). According to the bank, the new round allocates a total of IQD 1 billion (approximately $763,000) to 93 beneficiaries. The programme forms part of the entrepreneurship financing initiative supported by the Central […]
By John Lee. State-owned Rafidain Bank has announced the launch of the 50th tranche of its Riyada wa Tamayuz (Entrepreneurship and Excellence) initiative to support small and medium-sized enterprises. The tranche totals IQD 1 billion (approximately USD 0.77 million) and will benefit 82 recipients. According to a statement from the bank's media office, the funding is […]
By John Lee. The Central Bank of Iraq (CBI) has launched the "Knights" [Al Fursan] programme, a locally-developed initiative aimed at fostering youth entrepreneurship and supporting the private sector's role in national economic development. The launch event, held at the CBI's headquarters on 25 June 2025, was attended by Governor Ali Mohsen Al-Allaq, who emphasised […]
By John Lee. Iraq's state-owned Al-Rafidain Bank has announced the launch of the second phase of its "Riyada" initiative [Iraqi Riyada Network for Access Development and Advancement, IRADA Network], following the success of the first phase, which it says funded over 8,000 productive projects with a total of more than 107 billion IQD [$82 million]. The […]
By John Lee. Prime Minister Mohammed S. Al-Sudani has launched the operations of the Permanent Council for the Development of the Private Sector in Iraq. The initiative aims to strengthen the role of the private sector in the national economy and address key legislative and institutional barriers. Prime Minister Al-Sudani highlighted the Council's responsibility to […]
By John Lee. Germany's Frankfurt School of Finance and Management has won a contract with the International Labour Organization (ILO) to, "enhance the operational efficiency and effectiveness of the Iraqi Company for Bank Guarantees (ICBG)." The contract value was not disclosed. According to information provided by the UN, the project has four primary objectives: Optimize […]
New partnership supports private sector development in Iraq's Kurdistan Region The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government's Ministry of Planning (MoP) have today signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that will boost the private sector by encouraging the growth of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). The MoU […]
Sustainable Living in Iraq: A Milestone 1,000 SMEs Financed Through IOM's Enterprise Development Fund At the conclusion of Iraq's devastating conflict with the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), small and medium enterprises (SMEs) found themselves without access to the finance necessary to rebuild in the wake of the war's large-scale destruction. In […]
Germany, IOM Reaffirm Partnership to Support Economic Recovery in Iraq Small and medium enterprises (SMEs), which employ roughly half of Iraq's workers, were severely impacted by the conflict with the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, the resulting economic slowdown undermined the gradual progress SMEs had made toward […]
Economic recovery is slow for SMEs in Iraq during the second year of COVID-19 To measure the impact of COVID-19 on small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Iraq, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the International Trade Center (ITC) conducted a panel study of 716 SMEs, covering June […]
Come to The Iraq Business Forum, 27th September in Central London
