Iraq holds its first census in nearly 40 years
The Iraqi census is scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, and will provide sorely needed up-to-date demographic data for the country which has an estimated population of around 44 million
Iraq parliament approves new government after year of deadlock
Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani's 21-member cabinet is expected to face myriad challenges. The oil-rich but war-ravaged country is plagued by endemic corruption, rampant unemployment and decaying infrastructure. "Our ministerial team will shoulder the responsibility at this critical period, in which the world is witnessing tremendous political and economic changes...Saudi PIF to establish five companies for investments in five Arab countries
The five companies, together with Saudi Egyptian Investment Company (SEIC), a wholly-owned PIF subsidiary that was launched in August 2022, will invest up to $24 billion in opportunities across various key sectors in each market.Iraq judge quizzes five tax officials over missing $2.5 billion
Local media published a tax authority document showing the funds were withdrawn between September 2021 and August this year, transferred to the accounts of five companies using 247 cheques, and then immediately withdrawn.Iraq unveils archaeological park with ancient carvings
The 13 stunning monumental rock-carved bas-reliefs were cut into the walls of an irrigation canal that stretches for some 10km at Faida in northern Iraq.Iraq investigates $2.5 billion ‘theft’ from tax agency
The anti-corruption commission announced Sunday it has launched an investigation and said in a statement that it will provide the judiciary with all the information and documents it gathers "so that it can make the appropriate decisions" on individuals implicated in the case.Moqtada Sadr’s group refuses to join new government in Iraq
Iraqi firebrand cleric Moqtada Sadr's movement announced its refusal to join a new government being formed by prime minister-designate Mohammad Shia al-Sudani.Braving rockets, Iraq MPs elect president who names PM after year of deadlock
The 52-year-old Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, who has the backing of influential pro-Iran factions, vowed to form a government "as quickly as possible", but faces the daunting task of winning over their rivals, the millions of diehard supporters of fiery cleric Moqtada Sadr. When Sudani was first proposed in July, the...Iraq drought displaces 1,200 families in parched south
The Mesopotamian Marshes, a UNESCO World Heritage site, have been battered by low rainfall and reduced flows in the Tigris and Euphrates rivers due to dams built upstream in Turkey and Iran. Oil-rich Iraq, battered by decades of war, is also the world's fifth-most vulnerable country to some key effects...Iraq economic growth hampered in absence of government, budget
It remains without not only a new government but a budget too, obstructing much-needed reforms and infrastructure projects in the oil-rich but war-ravaged country. Iraq has raked in huge revenues from oil exports this year, but the profits are locked up in the central bank's coffers, which have amassed $87...Jordan and Iraq set up electrical project on the border
The two prime ministers affirmed that Jordan and Iraq maintain historical and strategic ties and are committed to expanding bilateral cooperation and integration across various fields.Energy crisis feared by Europe long a reality in Iraq
Soaring energy prices fuelled by Russia's war in Ukraine have forced a new reality upon European nations, where people are asked to limit the electricity they use for heating, lighting, and cooking. Some cities keep street lights on for shorter lengths of time, and in Paris, the lights illuminating the...As Iraq concrete jungle swelters, ancient stone houses stay cool
Tracing its roots back 2,700 years, the picturesque Kurdish town of Akre says it is better adapted to the modern-day perils of climate change than other parts of Iraq. "Stone houses are far more resistant" to the rising temperatures and also preserve the town's unique character, said Mayor Baland Reda...SAFEEN, Amaan Baghdad sign MoU
The agreement relates to fuel oil transport and storage.Violence erupts in Iraq on third anniversary of protests
Waving portraits of the "martyrs" killed in rallies three years ago, hundreds of protestors clashed with security forces in Iraqi cities to mark three years since nationwide demonstrations broke out against endemic corruption. The fresh protests come amid political paralysis since elections last year failed to bring in a new...Protest-hit Iran launches strikes that kill 13 in Iraqi Kurdistan
The September 16 death of Kurdish Iranian woman Mahsa Amini, 22, while in the custody of Iran's morality police has sparked a major wave of protests and a crackdown that has left dozens of demonstrators dead. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has accused the Iraq-based Kurdish groups of "attacking and infiltrating...High oil prices keep MENA’s economic health intact
The average price of a barrel of Brent crude oil is expected to be $101 in 2022 and $84 in 2023. However, Brent oil prices may fall to $75/b by 2025 and $70/b by 2027, says a report.Iraq MPs to meet for first time since August violence
Parliament said in a brief statement on Monday that votes on the resignation of the assembly's speaker, Mohammed al-Halbussi, and the appointment of a first deputy speaker would top the agenda.EU to support Iraq in boosting economic activity in five sectors
The European Union has shown interest to be part of the process of decentralization in Iraq and in this regard it is working in partnership with the Iraqi ministry of planning and other bodies in order to enhance activity in five sectors of the economy.Jordan PM meets Iraqi, Syrian, Lebanese agriculture ministers
Jordan Prime Minister Dr. Bisher Khasawneh has a joint meeting with the agriculture ministers of Iraq, Syria and Lebanon.Iraq and Qatar look to boost cooperation in aviation sector
Iraq and Qatar are looking to enhance cooperation in the field of civil aviation, especially in technical, air transport, and aviation security.Iraq invests in people, works on sustainable goals
The challenges facing Iraq today are the result of long accumulations that we are working to dismantle and our hope for the aspiration of our society, of which youth make up the bulk of it, towards adhering to and defending democracy, as a way of life and mechanisms for good...UAE delegation attends meetings on sidelines of UNGA session
The UAE delegation attended the fifth day of high-level meetings on the sidelines of the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly.Tigris: Iraq’s mighty river drying up
Water scarcity hitting farming and food security are already among the "main drivers of rural-to-urban migration" in Iraq, the UN and several non-government groups said in June.Anti-terror probe of Tunisia opposition chief delayed
Ennahdha categorically denies the claims that its leader, Rached Ghannouchi, and Tunisia's former prime minister Ali Laarayedh were involved in sending jihadist militants to Syria and Iraq. The accusations have resurfaced after President Kais Saied tightened his grip on the judiciary, following the suspension of the Ennahdha-dominated parliament last year.Iran hopes to see sanctions relaxed to export gas to Europe
Tehran, Iran - Iran said Monday it hopes to see US sanctions eased or lifted to allow it to sell natural gas to Europe, easing the continent's shortfall as Russian energy exports are restricted. "Given Europe's energy supply problems triggered by the Ukraine crisis, Iran could provide Europe's energy needs...Iraq looks to neighbors for energy to overcome crunch
Looking to tide over the persistent problem of a lack of energy supply in the country, particularly in the summer due to high temperatures, the Iraqi Ministry of Electricity says it needs 35,000 megawatts of energy to achieve self-sufficiency.Iraq parliament staff resume work after weeks-long hiatus
The development came as speaker Mohammed al-Halbusi suggested an agenda for an upcoming national dialogue session following an 11-month political paralysis that sparked deadly clashes in Baghdad last week.Iraq anti-govt activists demand political change after unrest
Brandishing banners and Iraqi flags, the non-partisan protesters streamed into west Baghdad's al-Nusoor square, demanding a complete political overhaul. Demonstrators shouted the Arab Spring slogan: "The people want the fall of the regime."Iraq president feels early elections can end crisis
Less than a year after the last polls, Iraq President Barham Saleh has encouraged early elections to settle a political crisis that has escalated into deadly clashes, killing dozens and wounding hundreds more. It has been a key demand of Moqtada Sadr whose supporters clashed with security forces starting on...Iraq, Kuwait, US conduct joint patrol in Arabian Gulf
Ships from the Iraq Navy, Kuwait Naval Force, Kuwait Coast Guard, US Navy, and US Coast Guard participated in maneuvering exercises and maritime security drills.UN chief calls for restraint as Iraq descends into chaos
Hours after Baghdad’s Green Zone plunged into chaos, UN chief Antonio Guterres has called for "restraint" in Iraq, asking all parties to "take immediate steps to de-escalate the situation." Violence flared up after Moqtada Sadr said he was quitting politics, fueling chaos in which 12 of his supporters were killed.Shelling targets Baghdad’s Green Zone amid chaos after Sadr quits politics
Tensions have soared in Iraq amid a political crisis that has left the country without a new government, prime minister or president for months, and escalated sharply after Sadr's supporters stormed the government palace following their leader's announcement. At least seven shells fell in the high-security Green Zone, which houses...Protests erupt in Iraq as Moqtada Sadr says quitting politics
Sadr and his supporters have been calling for parliament to be dissolved and for new elections, but on Saturday he said doing so was not "so important". Instead, it is "more important" that "all parties and figures who have been part of the political process" since the 2003 US-led invasion...Iraq’s Sadr suggests ‘all parties’ resign from government posts
For nearly a year, Iraq has struggled to break a political deadlock that has left the country without a new government, prime minister or president, due to disagreement between factions over forming a coalition. Now with Sadr calling for parliament to be dissolved, it will only deepen the uncertainty.In blazing heat water taps run dry in southern Iraq
More than 3,300 families across 10 provinces in Iraq's center and south were displaced due to "climate factors" as of March this year, the report said, blaming water scarcity, high salinity and poor water quality.Iraqi Central Bank report shows financial recovery in past 10 years
A Central Bank of Iraq report showed that the unemployment rate rose to 16.5 percent in 2021, compared to 11.9 percent in 2012.China cements influence in Iraq through oil, infrastructure deals
After decades of conflict, Iraq is in need of foreign investment, and specifically investment in energy sector infrastructure. China, with its soaring energy needs, has stepped in to fill that gap, and is expanding its presence in Iraq under a 2019 oil for construction deal.Telecom Egypt and Orange Jordan’s CAB System to connect Iraq to Europe
Telecom Egypt, Egypt’s first integrated telecom operator and one of the largest subsea cables operators in the region, and Orange Jordan, will create a terrestrial system connecting Iraq to Europe through Jordanian and Egyptian territories. The two companies signed an agreement under which the new system will commercially be named...Widam Food signs $27mn pact with Egypt’s Frigo
The company, in a statement, said it exported two meat shipments to Egypt in March and July.Iraq protest camps dig in for long haul
Supporters of cleric and political kingmaker Moqtada Sadr are pitted against Shiite opponents from a pro-Iran faction called the Coordination Framework.Iraqi leaders, bar Sadr, agree to work on political roadmap
Tensions have been rising since July between the two main Shiite factions, one led by Sadr, the other by the pro-Iran Coordination Framework. Attempts to mediate have so far proved fruitless. Sadr wants parliament dissolved to pave the way for new elections, but the Coordination Framework wants to set conditions...Iraq to build four free-trade zones, two along Jordan and Saudi borders
Iraq plans to establish free-trade zones adjacent to Baghdad and Najaf airports and another one near the Iraqi-Jordanian border, which is part of a joint economic city and one of the most important future projects. The country is also working to open free-trade zones near the Iraq-Saudi Arabia border.Iraqis grow weary of squabbling political parties
Iraq has been ravaged by decades of conflict and endemic corruption. It is blighted by ailing infrastructure, power cuts and crumbling public services, and now faces water shortages as drought ravages swathes of the countryRival sit-ins deepen Iraq political deadlock
The opposing encampments are the latest turn in a standoff between Iraq's rival Shiite blocs which has so far remained peaceful in the war-scarred country. The pro-Iran Coordination Framework said it would hold an "indefinite sit-in" to press for a new government to be formed quickly to end months of...Foreign exchange reserves up at $82bn, says Iraq’s Central Bank
Central Bank of Iraq announced that foreign exchange reserves rose to US$82 billion, while gold reserves exceeded 130 tons.Iraq to provide Lebanon with fuel for another year: PM Mikati
Iraq has agreed to renew a one-year deal to provide Lebanon with fuel for its power plants in exchange for in-kind services, Lebanon's Prime Minister said in a statement Thursday. Iraq signed an agreement in July 2021 to give cash-strapped Lebanon one million tonnes of fuel oil to help keep...Dana Gas posts $110m profit
The better results were driven by high hydrocarbon prices.Moqtada Sadr calls on judiciary to dissolve parliament
Sadr justified his calls for judicial action by noting that constitutional deadlines for appointing a new president and prime minister have been missed following last year's legislative elections.Iraq launches rebuilding of Mosul airport destroyed in ISIS battle
Entire sectors of the northern metropolis have remained in ruins since the July 2017 recapture of Mosul by Iraqi forces backed by a US-led multinational coalition. The airport, which was heavily damaged in the battle, has been disused since ISIS seized Mosul and adjacent areas in 2014.Kurdish Iraqi farmer sprouts online advice, green awareness
The mustachioed 50-year-old with almost half a million Facebook followers posts weekly videos on topics such as protecting fruit trees, dealing with insects and helping people get more from their farms and gardens.