By John Lee. Hiwa Rauf for Investment & Development (HRID) and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, have signed a financing partnership mandate for Downtown Slemani, Iraq's first certified sustainable mixed-use real estate development. The agreement was announced during IFC Partnerships Day in Iraq, held under the patronage of […]
IFC Marks 20 Years of Partnerships for Impact in Iraq, Announces $1bn in New Investments The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, held an IFC Partnerships Day in Baghdad on Saturday, under the patronage of His Excellency Mr. Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani, Prime Minister of Iraq, to mark two decades of […]
By John Lee. Deputy Prime Minister for Energy Affairs and Minister of Oil, Hayan Abdul Ghani Al-Sawad, has met with the World Bank's Director on the sidelines of the Gastech exhibition and conference. The discussions covered issues related to oil and the wider economy. The meeting was also attended by Deputy Minister for Gas Affairs, […]
By John Lee. The Ministry of Planning has hosted a consultative session on the "Journey of the Dollar in the Iraqi Economy: Between Monetary Policy and the Market." Organised by the Department of Economic and Financial Policies, the session brought together department heads and staff to analyse the sources, flows, and impact of foreign currency-primarily […]
By John Lee. Iraq's Ministry of Transport has announced details of its project to develop Baghdad International Airport (BIAP) through a public-private partnership (PPP), in cooperation with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group. In response to fiscal pressures and the government's strategy to diversify funding sources, Iraq signed a […]
By John Lee. The World Bank approved on Wednesday a US$930 million [approx. IQD 1.2 trillion] loan for Iraq to modernise its railway network, strengthen domestic and regional trade, and support economic diversification. The Iraq Railways Extension and Modernization (IREM) Project will upgrade the 1,047-km railway line connecting Umm Qasr Port in the south to […]
By John Lee. Real GDP in Iraq is expected to increase by 1.2 percent this year, according to the World Bank's latest Global Economic Prospects report. This represents a significant reduction on the previous forecast of 3.5 percent growth, issued in January. The report says: "In non-GCC oil exporters, current account balances are expected to deteriorate, mainly […]
By John Lee. The Iraqi private sector confronts significant obstacles that must be addressed to unlock the country's economic potential, according to Professor Frank Gunter of Lehigh University, speaking at the Iraq Britain Business Council (IBBC) Spring Conference in London recently. Professor Gunter identified four critical challenges hampering private enterprise development in Iraq: Finance: Iraqi […]
By John Lee. Prime Minister Mohammed S. Al-Sudani has reaffirmed his government's commitment to upgrading Baghdad International Airport (BIAP), chairing a high-level meeting to advance a public-private partnership (PPP) project aimed at overhauling Iraq's main aviation hub. Attended by representatives from the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the Prime Minister's advisors, and the Head of the […]
By John Lee. Iraq's Ministry of Planning held a technical meeting in Baghdad on Tuesday with a delegation from the World Bank, led by Deputy Minister for Technical Affairs, Dr. Maher Hammad Johan, to discuss mechanisms for joint cooperation on funding proposals to support vital development projects in Iraq. The discussions focused on four sectoral […]
By John Lee. In a meeting held on Tuesday, Iraq's Minister of Finance, Taif Sami Mohammed, welcomed a delegation from the World Bank's Environment Section, led by Regional Director Ms. Maskeren Bahraini, to discuss closer collaboration on financial reform and sustainable environmental development. The talks covered key World Bank projects focused on environmental protection and […]
By John Lee. The Central Bank of Iraq (CBI) has launched its first National Financial Inclusion Strategy, covering the period 2025-2029. The initiative provides an integrated framework aimed at enabling all individuals and businesses to access the financial sector and use appropriate, secure financial services with consumer protection guarantees. The strategy is expected to contribute […]
