The latest security news from Iraq – Baghdad & Iraq Provinces security reports and more – brought to you by Iraq Business News
By John Lee. The 11th edition of the Najaf International Trade and Industry Fair has opened in Najaf province, with participation from more than 250 local and foreign companies across commercial, industrial, and services sectors. According to the Ministry of Trade, the fair runs from 13th to 23rd May 2026, open daily from 4pm to […]
By John Lee. A new hydrocarbon discovery has been made at the Qurnain exploration block in southwest Iraq, marking the first oil find at any block awarded under the fifth supplementary and sixth licensing rounds. The discovery was confirmed following the drilling of exploratory well Shams-11, which began on 10th January 2026. A potential hydrocarbon […]
By John Lee. The Iraqi Oil Exploration Company has completed a 2D seismic survey at the Qarnain block in Najaf province, finishing 31 days ahead of the scheduled timeline. The survey covered 2,850 kilometres and recorded 47,500 energy points, achieving a completion rate of 108 per cent. Work began on 10 October 2025 and concluded […]
By John Lee. The Iraqi government has approved annual allocations of IQD 100 billion (USD 76.3 million) for each province covered by the Reconstruction Fund for the Most Impoverished Areas. The funding applies to five provinces: Basra Babil Diwaniyah Muthanna Najaf The allocations form part of ongoing efforts to support development and improve economic conditions […]
By John Lee. The Iraq Oil Exploration Company has completed a two-dimensional seismic survey programme for the Al-Qurnain exploration project in Najaf province, aimed at expanding Iraq's geological database and supporting future oil and gas discoveries. The project forms part of efforts by the Ministry of Oil to strengthen hydrocarbon exploration activities and increase the […]
By John Lee. Plans have reportedly been approved to expand the Najaf refinery's production capacity to 100,000 barrels per day, alongside the development of several oilfields in the province. The governor of Najaf, Yousif Kinawi, told the state-run Iraqi News Agency (INA) that the refinery's current capacity stands at around 30,000 barrels per day. Implementation […]
By John Lee. Two major road infrastructure projects have been launched to improve connectivity and ease congestion in the central Euphrates region. The first project involves construction of a 34-kilometre road linking Karbala province to the highway network, including 14 bridges, one of them spanning the Euphrates River. The project has a total cost of […]
By John Lee. The Iraqi government has launched the execution of four major road and bridge projects in the provinces of Wasit and Najaf. The total budget for these projects is 374 billion Iraqi dinars (USD 285 million). The projects include expansion and rehabilitation of the Kut-Baghdad road, construction of a second carriageway for the […]
By John Lee. The Iraqi government has approved the formation of a working group, chaired by the head of the Iraq Civil Aviation Authority (ICAA), to oversee the licensing of Baghdad, Basra, Mosul, and Najaf airports. The team will also review the Iraqi Airways and State Company for Air Navigation Services to ensure full compliance […]
By John Lee. The Iraqi Cabinet has amended Resolution 24306 of 2024 to authorise the National Investment Commission (NIC) to contract with the advisory consortium comprising Malaysia's HSS [HSS Engineering Berhad (HEB)] and the UAE's CHSS (as partner) for the Najaf-Karbala metro project. The decision allows the NIC to grant the investment licence and sign […]
By John Lee. Iraq's state-owned Oil Exploration Company and Al-Qarnain Petroleum, a subsidiary of China's ZhenHua Oil, have signed a contract for a two-dimensional seismic survey of the Al-Qarnain (Al-Quraynan) exploration block. Minister of Oil, Hayan Abdul Ghani, described the block as a promising oil and gas prospect on Iraq's border with Saudi Arabia. According […]
By John Lee. Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani has inaugurated the second phase of the wastewater treatment plant in Najaf, which now provides an additional 100,000 cubic metres per day of treatment capacity. He also launched implementation works for the Al-Nidaa district sewage project and the third phase of the Najaf treatment plant, which will […]
