IMF Pushes Reform of Iraq's Banking System

By John Lee. A new report from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said that the restructuring of state-owned banks (SOBs) can foster the development of the private sector and improve growth. It adds: "Strengthening the financial sector can …

Iraq sees Surge in Internet Penetration

By John Lee. The Iraqi Ministry of Communications has announced internet penetration reaching 82.9 percent of the population by the end of 2024, up from just 44.3 percent in 2019, according to official data from the International Telecommunication Union ( …

MENA Fintech Association Launches Iraq Chapter

By John Lee. The MENA Fintech Association (MFTA) has launched its Iraq Chapter, according to a report from Arqam. It says it has appointed Iraqi-Canadian entrepreneur Bahaa Abdul Hadi, co-founder of International Smart Card (ISC) and architect of Iraq' …

Unlocking Iraq's Economic Potential -- IMF Report

Iraq seeks to foster ties with Islamic Azad University in emerging technologies

TEHRAN – Iraq is interested in expanding its collaborations with the Islamic Azad University in fields such as artificial intelligence (AI), quantum science, and life sciences, IRNA quoted Yasser Abdul Zahra Al-Hajjaj, Cultural Attaché of Iraq in Tehran, …

Drone attack shuts US-run oil field in Iraq’s north

BAGHDAD A drone strike forced a U.S. company to suspend operations at an oil field in Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region on July 15, the latest in a string of attacks targeting the region's energy infrastructure. The Kurdistan Regional Government ( …

Iraq and the Fires of Its Neighbors

I once asked a man who had worked in Saddam Hussein’s palace whether he had ever heard him swear. “No, he did not have a habit of swearing. He would fall silent when he became angry, but sparks would flash in his eyes; whenever he accused someone of …

How Did Iraq Survive ‘Existential Threat More Dangerous than ISIS’?

Diplomatic sources in Baghdad revealed to Asharq Al-Awsat that Iraqi authorities were deeply concerned about sliding into the Israeli-Iranian war, which they considered “an existential threat to Iraq even more dangerous than that posed by ISIS when it …

Azerbaijan, Iraq discuss cooperation

Baku, July 15, AZERTAC On July 15, Azerbaijan’s Prosecutor General Kamran Aliyev met with a delegation led by Munther Ibrahim Hussein, President of the Federal Supreme Court of the Republic of Iraq. Prosecutor General Kamran Aliyev congratulated Munther …

Drone attack halts US-run oil field in Iraq’s Kurdistan

ARBIL: A drone strike disrupted operations at a US-operated oil field in Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region, marking another attack on the area’s critical energy infrastructure. The Kurdistan Regional Government condemned the strike on the Sarsang oil …