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Iraq’s Government Orders Kurdistan Region to Immediately Transfer Oil Production to SOMO

The Iraqi Council of Ministers headed by Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani (INA)
The Iraqi Council of Ministers headed by Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani (INA)
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Iraq’s Government Orders Kurdistan Region to Immediately Transfer Oil Production to SOMO

The Iraqi Council of Ministers headed by Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani (INA)
The Iraqi Council of Ministers headed by Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani (INA)

The Iraqi government announced on Tuesday that it has ordered the Kurdistan region to immediately transfer its oil production to Iraq’s State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO). The Iraqi cabinet also approved a budgetary measure to reimburse the Kurdish government for production and transportation costs, setting a rate of $16 per barrel for foreign oil companies operating in Iraqi Kurdistan.

Türkiye had halted oil flows through the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) pipeline in March 2023 after the International Chamber of Commerce ordered Ankara to pay $1.5 billion in compensation to Baghdad. This was due to unauthorized oil exports by the KRG between 2014 and 2018. The arbitration ruling concluded that Ankara had violated the 1973 treaty by enabling oil exports from the region without the Iraqi federal government’s approval.

Efforts to reopen the pipeline have been stalled by competing demands from the KRG, foreign oil companies, and the Iraqi federal government. According to a cabinet statement, Iraq’s Ministry of Oil, in coordination with the Kurdistan Ministry of Natural Resources, will appoint an international technical advisor to determine fair production and transport costs for each oil field within 60 days of the law’s implementation. If no agreement is reached within that period, the Iraqi cabinet will select an international advisory body independently of Kurdish authorities.

Iraq has attributed the delay in resuming crude exports to foreign companies and Kurdish authorities, stating that these entities have not yet submitted their contracts to the Iraqi Oil Ministry for review. Additionally, foreign companies have demanded higher production costs, a request the Iraqi government has rejected.

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Saudi Arabia Makes History with Adoption of Riyadh Treaty on Design Law

Photo of the Riyadh Diplomatic Conference on the Design Law Treaty (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Photo of the Riyadh Diplomatic Conference on the Design Law Treaty (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Arabia Makes History with Adoption of Riyadh Treaty on Design Law

Photo of the Riyadh Diplomatic Conference on the Design Law Treaty (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Photo of the Riyadh Diplomatic Conference on the Design Law Treaty (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia has made history by uniting the 193 member states of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) to adopt the Riyadh Treaty on Design Law. This landmark achievement, realized after two decades of deliberation, underscores the Kingdom’s leadership in enhancing the global intellectual property system.

The announcement came at the conclusion of the Riyadh Diplomatic Conference on the Design Law Treaty, a rare event for WIPO, which has not held a diplomatic conference outside Geneva for more than a decade. It was also the first such event hosted in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East, representing the final stage of negotiations to establish an agreement aimed at simplifying and standardizing design protection procedures across member states.

Over the past two weeks, intensive discussions and negotiations among member states culminated in the adoption of the Riyadh Treaty, which commits signatory nations to a unified set of requirements for registering designs, ensuring consistent and streamlined procedures worldwide. The agreement is expected to have a significant positive impact on designers, enabling them to protect their creations more effectively and uniformly across international markets.

At a press conference held on Friday to mark the event’s conclusion, CEO of the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property Abdulaziz Al-Suwailem highlighted the economic potential of the new protocol.

Responding to a question from Asharq Al-Awsat, Al-Suwailem noted the substantial contributions of young Saudi men and women in creative design. He explained that the agreement will enable their designs to be formally protected, allowing them to enter markets as valuable, tradable assets.

He also emphasized the symbolic importance of naming the convention the Riyadh Treaty, stating that it reflects Saudi Arabia’s growing influence as a bridge between cultures and a global center for innovative initiatives.

The treaty lays critical legal foundations to support designers and drive innovation worldwide, aligning with Saudi Arabia’s vision of promoting international collaboration in the creative industries and underscoring its leadership in building a sustainable future for innovators.

The agreement also advances global efforts to enhance creativity, protect intellectual property, and stimulate innovation on a broader scale.

This achievement further strengthens Saudi Arabia’s position as a global hub for groundbreaking initiatives, demonstrating its commitment to nurturing creativity, safeguarding designers’ rights, and driving the development of creative industries on an international scale.

The Riyadh Diplomatic Conference, held from November 11 to 22, was hosted by the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property and attracted high-ranking officials and decision-makers from WIPO member states.