Weekly flights from Al Najaf Airport to Arab and European countries

Translated by IRAQdirectory.com - [12/15/2008]

The Chief Executive Officer of the Kuwaiti company (Al Aqeeq), Najah al Balaghi stated that the company is in charge of managing and operating Al-Najaf International Airport and there will weekly flights in the coming weeks.

Al Balaghi explained that the flights would be between al-Najaf and a number of Arab and European capitals, at rate of 14 weekly flights to Kuwait and 10 flights to Dubai, 12 flights to Bahrain with a number of flights to European countries soon.

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Iran is drilling 9 oil wells north of Baghdad

Translated by IRAQdirectory.com - [12/13/2008]

Iran plans to participate in Iraqi oil projects of drilling 9 wells in the north of the capital Baghdad.
The executive director of the Iranian Oil Industry Investment Company, Ahmad Naseri said in a statement published on Friday that his country will participate with an Iraqi company in this project, total investments funds of 32.25 million U.S. dollars.
He said that the project to be implemented within 18 months, expressing his hope that it will pave the way for a longer existence of oil industry in Iraq and other neighboring countries.

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Iran is participating in Iraqi oil project with funds 32.25$ million dollars

Translated by IRAQdirectory.com - [12/13/2008]

Iran intends to participate in Iraqi oil projects of oil drilling for nine wells in the north of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, a total funding of 32.25 million dollars. The news agency "Persian" quoted to the chief executive officer of the Iranian oil industry investments Ahmed Nasseri said his country will participate with an Iraqi company in this project, with total investments of 25 million Uruma equivalents of 32.25 million U.S. dollars.
He added that the project is decided to be implemented within 18 months, expressing hope that this project will pave the way for the oil industry in Iraq and other neighboring countries.
It is to be mentioned that Iraqi Oil Minister Hussein Shahristani called on international oil companies participating in the development of the Iraqi oil sector to attract investments from international oil companies.
And for possession of Iraq's western neighbor, the Iran's huge oil reserves in the northern region, Iran is a member of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries "OPEC", and among the top three countries in the world in terms of proven reserves of oil and natural gas.
As Iran is the second largest crude oil exporter in OPEC after Saudi Arabia, the fourth largest exporter in the world after Saudi Arabia, Russia and Norway.

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Iraqi-French companies won a contract to implement the largest water project in Baghdad

Translated by IRAQdirectory.com - [12/13/2008]
The municipality of Baghdad concluded on Sunday a contract with three companies, French and Iraqi companies for the implementation of largest water project in Baghdad.

The Secretary of Baghdad Sabir Al-Issawi, told reporters after signing the contract of Al-Rusafa water project with a coalition of three companies (Iraqi French) which will implement the first phase of the project, they are the French (Dkrmont) and the two Iraqi (Al-Esam and Al-Mabrouk), the completion of the giant water project in Al- Rusafa, which is the largest in Iraq and the region, will eliminate the water scarcity in the capital forever.

The Secretary of Baghdad said that the designed capacity of the project, is about 2250 thousand cubic meters a day, the first phase will be implemented by those companies with capacity of 900 thousand cubic meters per day at 1.136 billion dinars and the duration of delivery would not exceed 28 months. He added «that this project of great importance, as will solve the problem of scarcity in the city of Baghdad and give the ability to municipality of Baghdad to transfer any amount of pure water to any region on both sides of Karkh and Rasafa, through the land reservoirs and carrier lines. The Cabinet had approved the allocation of Rusafa giant water project, to implement the first phase by the mentioned coalition after the recommendation of the municipality of Baghdad.

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The Authority of Babylon announced on many privileges for the investors

Translated by IRAQdirectory.com - [21.10.2008]

The Director of the Investment Authority in Babel Alaa Harba, clarified that: the bureau is receiving continuously a number of related applications for investment in various industrial, residential, agricultural and tourism areas and the body is working hard to welcome investors without the conflicting with Iraqi laws and environmental standards related to investment. Harba stressed on that the aim of the Iraqi investment law is to transfer of modern technology and industrial development and employing the workers in a step to eliminate the unemployment, also to construct a base of developed industrial, agricultural, health and tourism in Iraq and that the law has many privileges to investors, including tax exemption for a period of ten years, and in the case of sharing with Iraqi investor by 50 percent of the project, the Exemption will be up to fifteen years. Harba said: The Iraqi investment law gave to the Investment Authority in the province, the freedom in deciding on investment projects up to 250 million dollars, and if it exceeds more then it must obtain the approval from the Council of Ministers. The director of the Investment Authority said that the investor is allowed to enter engineering machinery equipment, vehicles and free of customs equipment, as well as the facilitation to obtain a land for the project up to 50 years, depending on the type of project, and it is renewable, as well as respecting the investor financial and material property, and reserving his full property from expropriation and nationalization , and the Authority is responsible to obtain the approvals for him from the competent authorities.
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The Central Bank sold 820 million dollars within a week

Translated by IRAQdirectory.com - [19.10.2008]

The volume of aggregate demand to buy the dollar had increased during the sessions of the Central Bank of Iraq this week, for up to 820 million and 906 thousand dollars against 645 million and 262 thousand dollars last week, a decline in the exchange rate at one point in the middle of the week.
And the total cash demand registered 208 million and 955 thousand dollars, while foreign remittances recorded a size of request amounted to 611 million and 951 thousand.

The demand rate has increased to its higher record, with 164 million and 181 thousand dollars, while the third-quarter of the current year had registered $ 150 million in each session.
This week has witnessed a remarkable disparity in the sizes of requests to buy the dollar during the course of the auction, when the opening session on Sunday last week, registered the minimum requests during the one session worth 110 million and 625 thousand dollars, while on Monday's session, the demand reached to its peak of value at 233 million and 890 thousand dollars, Double the quantity.
The exchange rate for the current week dropped of one point between the opening session on Sunday which registered 1179 dinars to the one dollar, while in the closing session on Thursday registered 1178 dinars, also on Tuesday the exchange rate dropped as well, while the last week sessions did not witness any change.
This week sessions for auction did not register any bids to sell the dollar by the contributing banks in the auction.

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Viele Länder konkurrieren um Investitionen im Irak

Bagdad, 22.09.2008

Der Vorsetzender der Investment Komitee , Herr Ahmed Ridha, sagte, dass die Behörde den Wettbewerb von vielen entwickelten Ländern, um große Projekte in dem Land, , offengelegt. Zu denen gehören die USA, Großbritannien, Frankreich, die Vereinigten Arabischen Emirate, Saudi-Arabien und in anderen Ländern.

Der Irak erhielt Investitionsangebote von rund 74 Milliarden Dollar während der letzten sechs Monate.

Das Land weist einen großen Teil des Budgets für die Entwicklung der Flughafen Basra, Baghdad International Airport und der heiligen Stadt Najaf zu.

Es gibt auch ein Projekt zum Aufbau einer Tourismus-Stadt in Kut (Südirak), sagte Ridha

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UN wählt "Management der Sümpfe als bestes Projekt für das Jahr 2007

(alsabah-newspaper) Bagdad, 16.Sep.2008

Ein hoher Beamter des Umweltministeriums sagte :UN-Umwelt-Programm, das vor kurzem in Kyoto - Japan gehalten wurde, wählte das Projekt der Sümpfe als das beste Management-Projekt im Irak für das Jahr 2007.

Der Minister, Nirmeen Othman Hassan, nahm an der Konferenz teil. Die Konferenz erörterte die Schritte des Projekts, die von der irakischen und der japanischen Regierungen erfüllt werden sollen, sagte der Offizielle des irakischen Umweltministeriums.

Übersetzt von Faleh Saleh – Iraq Consultant
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The Ministry of Industry ranked top among ministries in actual spending for this year

Translated by IRAQdirectory.com - [07.09.2008]


The Ministry of Industry and Minerals ranked the first among other ministries in the proportions of their expenses for the current year reached 277 billion and 358 million dinars from the allocated amount of 400 billion dinars, up to last June which is 69 percent of their actual expenses. An official source in the governmental investment of the Ministry of Planning and Development Cooperation stated to a press , that The Ministry of Electricity has followed the Ministry of Industry in volume of actual expenditures reached 907 billion and 641 million dinars from the allocated amount of trillion and 560 billion dinars, which is 58 percent, while the Ministry of Oil came in third place in spending a trillion and 254 billion and 442 million dinars from the allocated amount of a trillion and 400 million dinars.

He added that the Ministry of Migration had achieved 40 percent after spending 404 million dinars from the allocated amount of one billion dinars, then followed by the Ministry of Foreign affairs which spent 37 percent of 9 billion and 444 million dinars from the allocated amount of 25 billion dinars and then comes the Ministry of Municipalities which spent 33 percent 169 billion and 377 million dinars from the allocated amount of 500 billion dinars. The Source explained that the Ministry of Human Rights spent 657 million dinars, regarding to the allocated amount of two billion dinars ,thereby achieving 32.9 percent of the actual expenses , also the Ministry of Water Resources expenditure 32.2 percent of the actual expenses , spent 145 billion and 297 million dinars from the allocated amount of 450 billion dinars , while the House of Wisdom achieved 28 percent of achievement rate and spent 842 million dinars from the allocated of 3 billion dinars.

The Supreme Judicial Council had spent 6 billion and 959 million dinars from the allocated amount of 25 billion dinars, thus achieving 27 per cent of the actual expenses, while the Ministry of Construction and Housing achieved 20 percent of the actual expenses after spending the 63 billion and 411 million dinars from allocated sum of 309 Billion and 306 million dinars, then the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research achieved 14 percent after spending 28 billion and 733 million dinars from the allocated amount of 200 billion dinars. He continued that the Ministry of Agriculture spent 8 billion and 73 million dinars from the allocation 74 billion and 473 million dinars, thereby achieving 10.8 percent of the expenditure rate , followed by the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs which spent two billion and 93 million dinars from the allocation of 200 billion dinar , with expenditure rate of 10.2 percent. While The Ministry Of Trade spent two billion and 867 million dinars from the allocation of 28 billion and 500 million dinars with expenditure rate of 10.1 percent and then the Municipality of Baghdad that spent 44 billion 435 million dinars from the allocation of 470 billion dinars with expenditure rate 9.5 percent. The Ministry of Health has achieved 7.6 percent of expenditure rates which has yet to spend 7 billion and 613 million dinars from the allocation of 100 billion dinars.

And the Sunni Cabinet achieved 7.5 percent of spending 894 million dinars from the allocations of 12 billion dinars, while the Ministry of Justice has achieved 7.4 percent of expenditure 884 million dinars from the allocation of 12 billion dinars. The Source added that the Christian Cabinet achieved 5.8 percent from expenditure ratios, spending 491 million dinars from the allocation of 8 billion and 410 million dinars. And the Shiite cabinet has achieved 5.1 percent of spending 507 million dinars from the allocation of 10 billion dinars, while the Ministry of the Environment achieved 2.3 percent of projects expenditure 228 million dinars from the allocations of 10 billion dinars, the Ministry of Transport has achieved 2 percent of expending rate and spent 5 billion and 929 million dinars from the allocations of 300 billion dinars. He explained that the actual expenses of Ministry of Interior were two billion and 305 million dinars from the allocation of 145 billion dinars ,with expenditure rate 1.6 percent, while Ministry of Culture spent 202 million dinars from the allocation of 21 billion and 750 million dinars.

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Solar boilers in Iraqi markets soon
VOI -06.09.2008

The head of the Iraqi Industrial Assembly on Saturday said that Iraqi-made solar boilers will be available in local markets in three months' time to help solve the country's electricity crisis.

"These types of boilers will store the solar energy through plates that will covert sunlight into energy, which can be used to heat water in winter," Abdelhassan al-Shamri told Aswat al-Iraq- Voices of Iraq- (VOI).
Shamri noted that many local industrial projects have started to use new operating programs that meet the real needs of Iraqi citizens and local markets.
The Iraqi Industrial Assembly was established in 2004 by 300 owners of small industrial projects in an attempt to coordinate their efforts and help their businesses flourish.
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Iraqi Finance Minister and Italian ambassador discussed means to speed up Italian loan to Iraq

Translated by IRAQdirectory.com - [9/5/2008]

The Iraqi Finance Minister Baqir Jabr Al-Zubaidi discussed with the Italian ambassador in Baghdad Maryso Melanie and his accompanying delegation, to speed up procedures for the Italian loan to Iraq of four hundred million Euros allocated for the purchase of Italian machinery and agricultural equipment to supply the peasants. Al Zubaidi, during the meeting, explained that the government is keen on opening horizons for fruitful cooperation with Italy in all fields, particularly the rehabilitation of infrastructure and implementation of projects which will contribute significantly to upgrading the reality of agriculture in Iraq. For his part, Italian Ambassador expressed his country's readiness to support the Iraqi government by participating in reconstruction projects and rehabilitation of the Iraqi staff.
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$50,000 cost loans to small, middle industries

Baghdad, Aug 13,

Ministry of Industry and Minerals has called owners of projects registered in industrial development to get use of loans opportunity which businessmen can obtain them now. Director-General of industrial Development, Ministry of Industry and Minerals Abbasss Nassar Allah said that current year and last years industrial development loans have been tax-exempted. He added that all new loans have increased to be among $25,000-50,000 and due to the projects capacity of productive side and their real need after the resuming of its work. Borrowers of industrial projects became capable of get using from new increasing and submitting to obtain contrasts, indicating that pervious loans were not exceeded $ 8,000-19,000
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New airport to be built in Middle Euphrates

Baghdad, Aug. 13, P. 3
Transportation Ministry would build an international airport in Middle Euphrates area

its capacity 6 million travelers annually, senior undersecretary, Bankeen Rikani, said. This airport will serve religious and commercial tourism in this area, as the ministry calls private sector companies to bid and receiving the project requirements, Rikani said.
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Iraq's 2009 budget $ 100 billion

Baghdad, Aug. 13, P. 1
Finance Ministry refers to Parliament at next October estimated budget of the next year that would amount $ 100 billion

if crude oil prices remain at its current level. The oil and gas committee's chairman at the Parliament, Ali Hussein Delli, said that recent Iraq's oil exports range from 1.9 mln b/d to 2 mln b/d, and if there's any surplus in this year budget, it would added to the next year. Economic experts that the huge budget of 2009 would contribute at decreasing unemployment and improve living standards of people, if it spent properly, as they call the Govt. to curb inflation and set prices of esseential goods.
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Putting the cornerstone of Iraqi German hospital in Baghdad

Translated by IRAQdirectory.com - [8/5/2008]


Common characters represented by Iraq and German governments put the cornerstone yesterday of a modern hospital in Karada Asharqia , a cost of $ 150 million dollars at a time when the government agreed to implement 38 projects in Sadr City service.

The spokesman for the( imposition of civil law) Dr Shaykhli announced, explaining that the Iraqi German hospital to be established in the vicinity of the Al Mua'alaq bridge ,with time of completion estimated about two years, and it will be specialist to provide public services for all citizens of Baghdad, specialized in the liver and heart diseases, and both Iraqi and German doctors will work in this hospital ,which has a capacity of 250 beds.

A Shaykhli clarified about the Cabinet approval to set up 38 service projects in various areas Sadr City.
He pointed out that those projects include the establishment of health clinics in a number of sectors of the city and the rehabilitation of a number of hospitals and providing them with modern medical equipment, adding that the Council also decided to build 22 new schools and rehabilitate another 51 schools in the city, as well as supplying all schools with computers and photo copiers , in this regard they allocated ten thousand computers and 400 photo copiers.

The spokesman stated : that the Ministry of Electricity began its processing to supply Al Sadr City with 200 electric generators , in addition to 1580 illuminative pillar of solar flare in all the city streets.

He stressed that Baghdad Secretariat will build 20 parks in Sadr City and a number of children's playgrounds and sports fields, thus contributing to the revitalization of the sport movement inside the city.

Germany and Iraq signed an investment agreement
Translated by IRAQdirectory.com - [7/27/2008]

Germany and Iraq signed an agreement for investments aimed at strengthening bilateral trade ties between the biggest economy in Europe and the oil-rich Arab country.
German Economy Minister Michael Glos and Iraqi Industry Minister Fawzi al-Hariri signed on Wednesday the initials of the agreement in Berlin, while German companies announced their plans to invest in Iraq.

Glos said in a statement after his meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki in Berlin, "German companies can invest and they are supported with guarantees from the federal government ... to provide in the future an important contribution to the reconstruction of Iraq."
The spokeswoman for the Ministry of Economy said that the agreement is the first of its kind to Iraq since the U.S. invasion of the country in 2003.

Earlier Al-Maliki said that the German companies are to play a more active role in Iraq and urging them to visit the country to see the marked improvement in the security situation there.
He said in a press conference, speaking through an interpreter that Iraq is open for any kind of investment from Germany.

Al-Maliki said that companies which invest in the country would receive additional protection in Iraq, where violence ebbed to its lowest levels since early in 2004, as reported by the American army.
Germany was more conservative in the assessment of the security situation in Iraq, but Glos, who visited Baghdad earlier this month said that the companies are now expected to be there.
He said: "No more intermediaries."

A number of German companies announced on Wednesday that they had concluded deals with Iraq. The manufacturing company of trucks Man- and making auto company Daimler signed a memorandum of understanding with Baghdad's government for the supply of goods.

Al-Maliki said that his government is keen to encourage Iraqi exiles to return home.