Cursor International executes projects and collaboration activities across several industries.
By Adnan Abu Zeed for Al Monitor. Any opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News.
After decades, Iran, Iraq ready to Dredge the Shatt al-Arab
Hope of restoring a clean water lifeline to Basra province is on the rise again with plans by the Iraqi and Iranian governments to revive the Shatt al-Arab as a source of drinking water and improve its functioning as a trade route.
By Padraig O’Hannelly.
Building a successful business means delivering what you promise.
When I recently needed to go to Baghdad at short notice, I remembered a conversation I had with Abir Burhan, Operations Director of Al-Burhan Group: “Any time you want to go to Iraq,” he said, “we can take care of your visa, flights, accommodation and security – just give me a call.”
So I did, and a few days later I was on a plane from London Gatwick to Baghdad with Iraqi Airways, booked via IKB Travel; conveniently, a direct flight, which saves the time and trouble of getting a connecting flight somewhere else.
Staying at the Al-Burhan Centre, just minutes from the terminal building at Baghdad International Airport, was also very convenient, and probably the most secure location in Baghdad, situated as it is within the heavily guarded airport complex.
While in Iraq, I (and my family!) also needed to know that I’d be safe when travelling about in the capital; Gethin Wilson, Operations Manager at Al-Burhan Security, and his highly professional team, ensured that I was always where I needed to be, on time and in total safety.
But it’s not just about convenience and security. The success of the Al-Burhan Centre owes as much to the friendliness and hospitality of its people as it does to their efficiency and professionalism.
These factors are even more important for those staying long-term. Many of the guests at the Al-Burhan Centre are ex-pats, staying on rotations that can last weeks or months at a time, so it’s important not only that that they feel safe, but also that they are well catered for and enjoy their time at the centre.
George Mansour and his staff really understand that excellent food and a comfortable and friendly environment are essential for well-being, morale and productivity. And despite all the good food, there’s no excuse for putting on weight, as the centre even has two gyms to help work off the calories.
The al-Burhan family have created a real home from home, and take seriously the sign in their office: “Only promise what you can deliver.”
By John Lee.
Prime Minister Adil Abd Al-Mahdi and Jordan’s Prime Minister Dr. Omar Razzaz have agreed a series of measures to increase cooperation between the two countries.
Following a meeting at the weekend, they announced that, among other steps, they will finalize the framework agreement for the Iraqi-Jordanian pipeline which will run from Basra through Haditha to Aqaba in the first quarter of 2019.
The full (unedited) list of measures outlined in their joint statement is shown below:
In the transport sector:
In the industry and trade sector:
In the financial sector:
In the energy sector:
In the agriculture sector:
In the communications and IT sector:
(Source: Media Office of the Iraqi Prime Minister)
By John Lee.
Fleet Line Shipping (FLS) has won a contract to transport 11,000 tons oil and gas equipment and pipes from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to Iraq.
The first batch of pipe laying machines, each weighing 45 tons, was loaded on a ro-ro ship from Jebel Ali to the port of Umm Qasr in Iraq.
Delivery will be 450 kms from port.
(Source: X2 Elite)
By John Lee.
A plan to export Iraqi crude oil by truck to Iran has reportedly been postponed due to security concerns.
Under the oil-swap agreement, Iraq was to export 60,000 bpd of crude oil by truck from Kirkuk to Iran’s Kermanshah refinery (pictured), and ship back refined Iranian oil for southern Iraq.
Hamid Hosseini, the Iranian secretary-general of the Iran-Iraq Chamber of Commerce, said Iran does not have X-ray machines to scan the trucks coming from Iraq, adding that Iran is in talks with Iraq to use their X-ray facilities.
(Sources: Xinhua, Rudaw)
By John Lee.
Iraq’s National Investment Commission (NIC) has just announced the list of major strategic projects to be presented during the Kuwait International Conference for Iraq Reconstruction, to be held in Kuwait from 12th to 14th February.
The 157 large- and medium-sized projects span all sectors of the Iraqi economy, including oil and gas, transport, housing, agriculture and education.
The full 46-page document can be downloaded here.
(Source: NIC)
By Wassim Bassem for Al Monitor. Any opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News.
On Nov. 3, NASA published clear images taken by its satellites of the severe dust storm that hit Iraq recently. The climate changes sweeping Iraq are causing human casualties and economic damages. Hundreds of cases of suffocation were recorded.
The Ministry of Health announced Oct. 30 that there were more than 4,200 cases of suffocation in most governorates, including 528 in Karbala. During the dust storm, the Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority canceled its flights, and Iranian flights to Baghdad and Najaf airports were also canceled. Ninevah province recorded 1,108 cases of suffocation in the camps for internally displaced persons.
The storms also affected the course of the battles between the Iraqi forces and the Islamic State (IS). On Oct. 31, the Iraqi forces were forced to postpone the campaign aimed to retrieve the city of Qaim, west of Anbar, from IS because of the lack of visibility caused by the dust storms.
While dust storms are occurring in neighboring countries such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and even Iran, “Iraq is one of the most affected countries by the storm, at the level of its environment, individuals’ health and economy,” said Amer Habib of the Technical College Musayyib in Babil province and the director of a project on organic fertilizers in Babil.
“This is due to the fact that Iraq is a barren land where vegetation is scarce. Human activities have swept away orchards and agricultural lands, which also led to the decrease of the rivers’ water levels and the lack of rainfall, which resulted in the drying up of huge areas of agricultural spaces.”
In 2011, the World Meteorological Organization identified dust storms as a natural disaster. Several countries around the world have strengthened their defense strategies against this environmental threat with green belts of trees that are resistant to drought and harsh environments. The stakeholders, especially local governments in Iraq, have been following the same approach for years and have developed projects to help eliminate desertification.
This article was originally published by Niqash. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News.
Iraqi Kurdish Politicians Talk About Post-Referendum Threats And Demands
While many uncertainties remain about Iraqi Kurdistan’s referendum on independence, there is one thing that seems clear to the people on the streets: On the day, the semi-autonomous region felt united in a way that it has not been for a long time.
Part of the reason Iraqi Kurdistan has remained an oasis of relative calm and security, while the rest of Iraq fell apart during the recent security crisis caused by the extremist group known as the Islamic State and earlier, is that the Kurdish people have always considered their ethnicity more important than the religious sect they belong to.
Ethnicity has trumped religion in their case and, despite infighting, has tended to unite locals in this area, with the long-term goal being to form their own nation.
In many other situations recently, the Kurdish have been divided – often between the two zones that basically make up the semi-autonomous northern region, which are run by the two major political parties, the Kurdistan Democratic Party, or KDP, and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, or PUK.
Up until the very last minute some of the region’s political parties remained opposed to the referendum. The KDP, the PUK and the Kurdistan Islamic Union had supported the referendum while the Change movement, also known as Goran, and the Islamic Group of Kurdistan wanted it postponed.
Just one day before the referendum though, when it became clear it was going ahead, the Islamic Group of Kurdistan relented and senior members said they would be voting “yes” in the poll.
Even the Change movement, a long-time opposition group in the region that formed on an anti-corruption platform, told members to follow their own consciences. Then the movement also told members they should vote, and that they should vote “yes”.
This article was originally published by Niqash. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News.
Kirkuk’s Kurdish Governor: If Baghdad Blockades Us, ‘We Will Manage’
In an interview, the controversial governor of Kirkuk, Najmuddin Karim, talks about Baghdad’s attempts to fire him, military tensions and what happens if Baghdad stops sending money.
On September 14, the Iraqi parliament voted to dismiss the governor of Kirkuk from his post. The decision came after the governor, Najmuddin Karim, said that the Kirkuk area would also take part in the Kurdish referendum on independence held this week, on Monday.
The Kurdish minority in Iraq want their region to secede from the rest of Iraq and to begin to start a new nation; they already have their own government, military, and borders.
The decision on Karim’s position was made in the Iraqi parliament even though Kurdish MPs boycotted the vote. Karim rejected the dismissal as did the political party he belongs to, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, or PUK, and the Iraqi Kurdish government, which controls the semi-autonomous northern region.
The Kirkuk provincial council also supported the governor. However Arab and Turkmen members of the council who represent a significant proportion of Kirkuk’s population boycotted the session.
Kirkuk is one of Iraq’s most controversial “disputed areas” – that is, an area that the Iraqi government says belongs to Iraq but which the Kurdish believe should be part of their region. Although the Iraqi Kurdish military control the district, the population includes significant numbers of Arabs and Turkmen too, and this is why the city is often referred to as a potential flashpoint for ethnic conflict.
Karim spoke to NIQASH about the Kurdish referendum on independence as well as his dismissal and its ramifications for his authority in Kirkuk in the future.
NIQASH: There were a number of different options presented to the Kurdish leadership along with requests to postpone the referendum, but none of them seemed to be acceptable. Why?
Najmuddin Karim: The alternative proposals were not concrete. When the Iraqi prime minister spoke about problems, he was talking about amending the Constitution, which isn’t possible. We would only have agreed to postpone the referendum on condition that a date for Kurdish independence was set. There is no doubt that Kirkuk has a Kurdish identity and that its fate is entwined with that of the Kurdish region.