Joint statement from the leaders of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Japan and Canada on the Strait of Hormuz: 19 March 2026 19 March 2026 We condemn in the strongest terms recent attacks by Iran on unarmed commercial vessels in the Gulf, attacks on civilian infrastructure including oil and gas installations, and […]
By Nancy Ezzeddine, for The Clingendael Institute. Any opinions expressed are those of the author(s), and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Iraq's elections: greater fragmentation among the usual elite suspects Iraq's 2025 parliamentary elections offered a clear look at how political authority in the country is shaped in practice. While […]
By John Lee. The General Company for Ports of Iraq (GCPI) has confirmed the signing of a contract with Dutch firm Fugro to carry out third-party surveying of the al-Faw navigation channel, in preparation for issuing internationally recognised Admiralty charts. Director General Farhan al-Fartousi told the state-owned Iraqi News Agency (INA) that the survey work will […]
By John Lee. Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani has laid the foundation stone for the Medical Health City project in southern Baghdad, covering an area of 120,000 m². The launch ceremony was attended by the Minister of Health and representatives of international pharmaceutical companies. The project includes five pharmaceutical factories with a total investment […]
By John Lee. Kevir Entertainment, the first Kurdish-led video game studio, has presented its debut title at Gamescom in Cologne, Germany - the world's largest gaming convention. The Duhok-based studio, founded in 2023, developed its flagship game Operation Stutter after joining the inaugural Orange Corners KRI Accelerator in Erbil, where it refined its business model […]
By John Lee. The Iraqi Ministry of Justice has announced a major legal settlement with three Dutch companies. It said that the companies had filed international lawsuits against Iraq with claims amounting to about $800 million [IQD 1.04 trillion]; following "sustained legal and technical negotiations," the amount was reduced to $80 million [IQD 104 billion], […]
By John Lee. Iraq's state-owned Rafidain Bank has announced that it has "completed" 87 percent of its foreign debt obligations through high-level legal and financial negotiations, significantly reducing the country's external liabilities. As part of Iraq's adherence to the Paris Club Agreement and with direct Cabinet approval, the bank concluded major settlements with Dutch and […]
By John Lee. Iraq has signed a new academic protocol with the IHE Delft Institute for Water Education. The protocol aims to expand mutual scholarship opportunities under the Study in Iraq initiative, while fostering joint educational and research programmes that address pressing water challenges. It also includes cooperation between IHE Delft and Iraqi universities and […]
By John Lee. At the 5th Baghdad International Water Conference, Iraq and Germany officially launched the joint Climate-resilient Water Resource Management (CWRM) project-an initiative designed to address Iraq's deepening water crisis with sustainable and practical solutions. Implemented by the Ministry of Water Resources in cooperation with Germany's development agency, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), […]
By Ingrid d'Hooghe, Vera Kranenburg, and Erwin van Veen, for The Clingendael Institute. Any opinions expressed are those of the author(s), and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. China in Iraq The main objective of China's engagement in Iraq is to ensure a reliable flow of oil that diversifies Beijing's imports […]
By John Lee. The Iraqi Ministry of Transport has announced increased interest from international companies in investing in Iraq's strategic transport initiatives. Aided by improved investment conditions and government policies, 2025 is expected to see exceptional foreign direct investment activity, according to the Ministry. Key opportunities include the Grand Faw Port project, with 11 shortlisted […]
By John Lee. In September 2024, the Government of Iraq launched the second phase of the PROSPECTS partnership in Iraq, an initiative spearheaded and funded by the Government of the Netherlands. As part of this initiative, UNHCR has published a Factsheet: PROSPECTS partnership in Iraq (January 2025) It says that, as of December 2024, Iraq […]
