By continuing to use the site you agree to our Privacy & Cookies policy

Iraq

Iraq news and analysis, tenders, contracts awarded, commentary and economic data

If you are not a MEED subscriber but need access to trusted information, expert analysis and new sales leads then subscribe to the Middle East’s leading business intelligence service now		 c2a_1___sub_to_MEED

Profile

Iraq_map_527x286px Iraq+flag President+Jalal+Talabani
Iraq
Leader
President Jalal Talabani

Iraq country datafile
Country overview
Government contacts

Country data

Iran 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011f 2012f 2013f
Nominal GDP ($bn) 59.7 89.6 69.2 84.1 114.2 130.6 154.3
GDP per capita ($) 2,017 2,947 2,215 2,624 3,478 3,882 4,484
Real GDP growth (annual change, %) 1.5 9.5 2.9 3 8.9 10.2 14.7
Government revenue (% of GDP) 80.6 82.8 74.5 72.8 78.1 74.1 74.9
Government total expenditure (% of GDP) 68.7 84.1 95 81.7 70.5 76 71.8
Total government debt (gross, % of GDP) 172.9 106.6 135.5 116.7 88.7 77.7 25.5
Current account balance (% of GDP) 11.5 18.8 -13.4 -3 8.3 0.3 6.1
Value of oil imports 5.3 2.8 1.4 1.9 3.8 4.6 5.3
Value of oil exports 37 60.7 38 50 77.3 89.1 107.4
Inflation (%) 30.8 2.7 -2.2 2.4 5.6 6 5.5
Click to see full economic data (2005 - 2017 forecast)
Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Database; Last updated: March 2013

Iraq trends

Flare-up: Gunmen from Sunni tribes in the western Anbar province march during a protest in Ramadi

Syria war stokes Iraq sectarianism Subscription

9 May 2013, 14:14 GMT | By

Rising violence in Iraq leads to fears of new sectarian conflict between Shias and Sunnis

Ten-year smoothed commodity price growth

Commodity super cycle on verge of downward trend Subscription

7 May 2013, 10:18 GMT | By

Analysts predicting 2013-14 could be the start of lower prices for commodities such as oil and gas

Middle East contracts awarded April 2013

Middle East contracts awarded: April 2013 Subscription

5 May 2013, 7:41 GMT

Just over $12bn-worth of contracts were awarded in April

Complex move: Iraq plans to integrate the Nasiriyah oil field development with the construction of a refinery

Baghdad's first integrated refining project Subscription

18 April 2013, 13:39 GMT | By

Iraq hopes to make its first integrated refining project a model for further investment

Middle East contract awards March 2013

Middle East contracts awarded: March 2013 Subscription

8 April 2013, 10:34 GMT

Just over $8bn-worth of contracts were awarded in March

Alaa Disher Zamil, Director General, Iraq Ministry of Electricity

Tackling Iraq's domestic energy crisis

28 March 2013, 11:45 GMT

Alaa Disher Zamil, Director General, Iraq Ministry of Electricity, discusses the country’s plan to meet rising domestic power demands

Andrew Roscoe and Adal Mirza

Iraq Energy Projects 2013 conference round-up

28 March 2013, 11:15 GMT

MEED section editors Adal Mirza and Andrew Roscoe discuss the key highlights from this year’s Iraq Energy Projects conference

Iraq electricity

Iraq to spend $27bn on electricity projects by 2017 Subscription

26 March 2013, 7:40 GMT | By

Government plans to spend $75bn by 2030

Iraq energy

Challenges and opportunities in Iraq's energy sector

19 March 2013, 10:53 GMT

MEED’s Gulf correspondent for energy and industry, Adal Mirza, discusses the key issues likely to be debated at this year’s Iraq Energy Projects 2013 conference.

Ten years on: Since the toppling of Saddam Hussein, Iraq's reconstruction has faltered, but its expanding oil sector should help fund renewed efforts

Turning failure into prosperity in Iraq Subscription

14 March 2013, 13:32 GMT

After a decade of strife since the fall of Saddam, hopes for rebuilding now lie in Iraq’s re-emerging oil sector

Filter Iraq analysis by sector

MEED comment

Iraq: Syrian conflict is stoking voilence in the country

Iraq’s rising sectarianism

9 May 2013, 14:41 GMT | By

Civil war in Syria likely to affect the delicate Shia-Sunni balance in Iraq

Pipes

Pipeline gives Kurds an outlet

25 April 2013, 15:22 GMT

Establishing a crude pipeline with Turkey will free Kurdistan region from Baghdad’s influence

HSBC

HSBC reviews Iraq operations

25 April 2013, 14:24 GMT

If the UK banking giant sells out of Iraq, it will be another bad omen for the country struggling with economic and political malaise

Energy: Iraq must make concessions to attract firms

Iraq must scale back ambitions

18 April 2013, 15:46 GMT

Baghdad should focus efforts on delivering a single project, such as the Nasiriyah refinery

Electricity

Iraq must deliver on power pledges

27 March 2013, 16:18 GMT

Increasing pressure to keep up power supply means turning to the private sector may be the only way ahead

Oil

Critical year for Iraq oil sector

27 March 2013, 16:00 GMT

Seawater supply facility and crude oil export pipelines will be a strain on Oil Ministry’s management skills

Regeneration: Investment from oil could be the key

Turning energy into projects

14 March 2013, 14:08 GMT

Progress in rebuilding Iraq since the fall of Saddam Hussein has been too slow

Oil

ExxonMobil creates furore in Iraq

7 February 2013, 13:13 GMT

US oil major’s preparations for upstream work in Kurdish areas adds to Baghdad-Erbil tensions

More MEED commentary

Special reports

Iraq projects

Iraq: A regional giant emerges

20 March 2013, 9:02 GMT

Welcome to MEED’s Iraq Projects Outlook 2013

More Iraq special reports

Market presentations

After the Uprisings webinar

After the Uprisings: The outlook for business in the Middle East in 2013 and beyond Subscription

4 March 2013, 5:52 GMT

A webinar on the region’s business environment, providing current data and exclusive expert analysis drawn from MEED’s team of experts

Abu Dhabi petrochemicals plant

Future developments in Middle East petrochemicals Subscription

26 March 2012, 8:21 GMT

MEED’s exclusive subscriber-only online seminar on the petrochemicals sector in MENA outside of the GCC

Barzan: The gas project raised $5.7bn

Rebuilding the Middle East: Prospects for the projects market 2012 Subscription

6 February 2012, 5:40 GMT

MEED’s webinar looks at expected growth in the Middle East and North Africa

Implementing the region’s long-term rail plans Subscription

20 July 2011, 12:54 GMT

More than $250bn worth of rail projects are planned or under development in the Middle East; in this webinar, MEED presents an overview of the market and its growth

Iraq utilities: Opportunities and challenges to 2030 Subscription

5 April 2011, 13:42 GMT

Iraq’s power generation, transmission and distribution system in 2011 and beyond

MEED's 2020 Vision: A presentation Subscription

27 January 2011, 9:23 GMT | By

An exclusive MEED presentation looking at the key trends that will shape the Middle East economy in the coming decade.

More MEED webinars

Project awards

Greek firm wins $1bn Iraq power deal Subscription

9 May 2013, 6:35 GMT | By

Metka will build 1,642MW plant in western Iraq

Wood Group-CCC wins Iraq oil deal Subscription

8 May 2013, 10:18 GMT | By

Joint venture will commission new production facilities for Shell at Majnoon oil field

South Korean firm wins Iraq electricity deal Subscription

15 April 2013, 12:37 GMT | By

Firm will build facilities in three locations

Techint wins Iraq oil field housing deal Subscription

11 April 2013, 7:35 GMT | By

Italian engineering and construction firm awarded $387.8m housing project at Zubair oil field

Turkish joint venture selected for Iraq's Dohuk airport Subscription

10 March 2013, 10:22 GMT | By

Makyol and Cengiz awarded the contract for the construction of phase 1 in Kurdistan region

Metito wins Iraq wastewater plant contract Subscription

24 February 2013, 12:31 GMT | By

UAE firm will build and supply equipment for wastewater treatment plant in the Najaf governorate

France’s Alstom signs Baghdad elevated train contract Subscription

17 February 2013, 6:42 GMT | By

Contract covers design phase of Iraq project

Iraq awards $700m steel plant deal to Turkish group Subscription

13 February 2013, 10:25 GMT | By

UB Holding to revive shuttered steel operations in Basra region

Projects trends

Gulf projects index 14.05.13

Sharp drops lead to Gulf index decline Subscription

16 May 2013, 9:18 GMT

Kuwait only GCC state to record fall in value of projects sector

Gulf Projects Index

UAE and Iran push down Gulf index Subscription

9 May 2013, 9:48 GMT

Kuwait records biggest market growth after the launch of new transformer stations project

Gulf Projects Index

Iraq and Oman lift Gulf projects index Subscription

2 May 2013, 10:19 GMT

Baghdad projects market reaches a $500bn high registering a growth of 3.3 per cent

More Gulf Projects Index articles

Top 10 projects

Rank Project Name Sector Contract value ($m)
1 Basra New City, Shatt Al-Arab Construction 7,000
2 Kalak Refinery Third Expansion Oil 3,000
3 Basra Steel Mill Complex Rehabilitation Metals & Mining 2,800
4 Zubaidiya Power Plant Power 1,940
5 Erbil Media City Construction 1,600
6 Floria City in Erbil Construction 1,500
6 Baghdad Monorail Transport 1,500
6 Housing Complex in Al Madhatiyah Construction 1,500
6 Housing Project in Baghdad Construction 1,500
9 Basra Power Plant Power 1,250
Click through to the full data table on Iraq's biggest projects in construction
Click through to MEED's Q1 2013 Top 100 Projects report
Source: MEED Projects; Data compiled: April 2013

Companies

Asiacell

Asiacell Communications Subscription

Set up in the Kurdish region of Iraq in 1999, it was awarded a mobile operating licence in 2007 and now has a quarter of its shares floated on the Iraqi Stock Exchange

Mass Global

Mass Holding Subscription

Originally called Mass Global Investments, it works out of Jordan and is responsible for the development of power generation plants in Iraqi Kurdistan

Trade Bank of Iraq

Trade Bank of Iraq Subscription

Established in 2003 by the Finance Ministry and a foreign consortium led by JP Morgan, it was created as a state-owned ‘independent’ bank to facilitate local and international trade

See all company profiles

People

Serwan Baban Subscription

21 November 2012, 8:15 GMT

Serwan Baban is minister of agriculture and water resources, KRG

Herish Muharam Subscription

21 November 2012, 8:01 GMT

Herish Muharam is chairman, the Kurdistan Board of Investment

Hama Ameen Hawranim Subscription

21 November 2012, 7:46 GMT

Hama Ameen Hawranim is advisor, Ministry of Electricity, Iraqi Kurdistan

Masoud Barzani Subscription

Issue 16 20-26 April 2012

Masoud Barzani is president, Kurdistan Democratic Party

Nechirvan Idris Barzani Subscription

Issue 16 20-26 April 2012

Nechirvan Idris Barzani is prime minister, Kurdistan Regional Government

Bayiz Saeed Mohammad Talabani Subscription

Issue 16 20-26 April 2012

Bayiz Saeed Mohammad Talabani is finance & economy minister, Kurdistan Regional Government

See all Iraq biographies

Latest Iraq news

Iraq set to award $600m housing contract Subscription

21 May 2013, 9:11 GMT | By Cathal Gormley

Project will consist of housing, retail and other facilities

Filter Iraq news by sector

Tenders

Iraq: Catalyst Subscription

9 May 2013, 22:50 GMT | By

Supply of the SRU catalyst

Filter Iraq tenders by sector

Research reports

Kurdistan

Kurdistan Projects Market Report 2012

Read in full
  • pause slideshow

Newsletter Sign-up

More sector and country newsletters

Subscribe to MEED to receive your choice of premium newsletters

Find out more

MEED events

MEED Kurdistan Projects 2013

Kurdistan Projects 2013

Procurement and development strategies for new entrants to win work in Kurdistan’s projects market

More MEED events