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US Energy Firms’ Deals with Iraqi Kurdistan ‘Null and Void’, Baghdad Says 

This file photo taken on October 17, 2017 shows excess flammable gasses burning from gas flares at the Havana oil field, west of the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk. (AFP) 
This file photo taken on October 17, 2017 shows excess flammable gasses burning from gas flares at the Havana oil field, west of the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk. (AFP) 
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US Energy Firms’ Deals with Iraqi Kurdistan ‘Null and Void’, Baghdad Says 

This file photo taken on October 17, 2017 shows excess flammable gasses burning from gas flares at the Havana oil field, west of the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk. (AFP) 
This file photo taken on October 17, 2017 shows excess flammable gasses burning from gas flares at the Havana oil field, west of the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk. (AFP) 

Iraqi Kurdistan announced deals worth $110 billion over their lifetime with US firms HKN Energy and WesternZagros on Tuesday, drawing swift opposition from Baghdad's oil ministry which deemed them "null and void".

Prime Minister Masrour Barzani announced the deals in a speech in Washington, a day after they were flagged by an adviser on social media.

"The regional government is fully committed to developing the energy sector, especially as our reforms represent a significant step towards securing round-the-clock electricity supplies for all residents ...We also hope to contribute to providing electricity to other areas in Iraq," Barzani said, according to a statement released by the Kurdistan government.

The deals involve the development of the Miran and Topkhana-Kurdamir gas fields in the northern Iraqi city of Sulaymaniyah.

"These contracts are null and void. Natural resources belong to all Iraqis, and any agreement to invest in them must be made through the federal government, not in defiance of the law and the constitution," Iraq's oil ministry said.

Control over oil and gas has long been a source of tension between Baghdad and Erbil.

In a ruling issued in 2022, Iraq's federal court deemed an oil and gas law regulating the oil industry in Iraqi Kurdistan unconstitutional and demanded that Kurdish authorities hand over their crude oil supplies.

The Kurdish region's Ministry of Natural Resources issued a statement in response to the Iraqi oil ministry asserting its right and authority to sign energy deals.

"These deals are based on contracts signed many years ago, which have also been upheld as legal and valid by Iraqi courts... The recent change has been in the operating companies, in accordance with the legal and contractual framework of the existing agreements," it said.

An oil ministry official said agreement signings in Washington were conducted without Baghdad's previous knowledge.

"Signing energy agreements without consulting with the central government will further complicate relations between Baghdad and Erbil and will impact efforts to resume the export of Kurdistan regional oil," said a senior oil ministry official, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Key to those exports is a pipeline running through Türkiye halted since March 2023 after the Paris-based International Chamber of Commerce ruled Ankara violated provisions of a 1973 treaty by facilitating Kurdish exports without Baghdad's consent.

Negotiations to resume Kurdish oil exports via the Iraq-Türkiye oil pipeline, which once handled about 0.5% of global oil supply, have stalled over payment terms and contract details.

Foreign energy companies have demanded clarification on repayment of debts accumulated between 2022 and 2023 and have and have sought contract guarantees, according to Iraqi and Iraqi Kurdish officials.

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Business

Saudi Air Navigation: Virtual Towers Boost Efficiency, Open Control and Maintenance Roles to Saudi Women

Virtual tower operations center – Air Navigation Services (Asharq Al-Awsat) 
Virtual tower operations center – Air Navigation Services (Asharq Al-Awsat) 
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Saudi Air Navigation: Virtual Towers Boost Efficiency, Open Control and Maintenance Roles to Saudi Women

Virtual tower operations center – Air Navigation Services (Asharq Al-Awsat) 
Virtual tower operations center – Air Navigation Services (Asharq Al-Awsat) 

Saudi Arabia is accelerating digital transformation in aviation as virtual air traffic control towers enter live operations, marking a first for the Middle East. Saudi Air Navigation Services Company said the technology is among its flagship digital initiatives to enhance air traffic efficiency and prepare Saudi airspace for rapid growth.

The company has also successfully enabled Saudi women to work in air traffic control and navigation systems maintenance after completing specialized training programs.

Eng. Ahmed Al-Zahrani, Chief Strategy and Sustainability Officer, told Asharq Al-Awsat that virtual towers are a cutting-edge global technology adopted as part of the company’s broader transformation drive.

Al-Zahrani explained that a virtual tower replaces the traditional structure with a digital system built on high-definition cameras and advanced target-tracking technologies at the airport. Controllers can perform their duties without direct line-of-sight, using zoom and data overlays unavailable in conventional towers, such as flight number, passenger count, origin, and destination.

The initiative has moved beyond theory: the company has already launched the region’s first virtual tower at AlUla International Airport, operated remotely from King Abdulaziz Airport in Jeddah. The project has also won the Ministry of Transport and Logistics Services’ Innovation Award.

Al-Zahrani said that virtual towers raise controller efficiency by enabling oversight of multiple airports from a single center, while improving safety and operational performance through clearer imagery and richer data.

Beyond technology, readiness depends on continuity. The company operates two primary air traffic control centers in Riyadh and Jeddah; if one is disrupted, the other can seamlessly manage Saudi airspace without service interruption.

Since its launch in June 2016, the company has aimed to rank among regional leaders in air traffic management. Today, it is one of the region’s foremost providers and is pursuing global leadership.

Air traffic continues to expand. By the end of November, flights totaled 921,095, up 5.7% year on year. A daily record was set on June 19, 2025, with 3,673 flights, averaging 153 per hour.

On workforce development, Al-Zahrani said women have begun work as controllers and maintenance specialists, demonstrating strong performance. The company employs about 2,000 staff, over 97% Saudi nationals, and 100% Saudis in air traffic control roles.

Sustainability underpins operations across environmental efficiency, social impact through national talent empowerment, and governance via integrity and compliance. On cybersecurity, the company adheres to top international standards and recently earned the global SOC-CMM certification, measuring operations readiness across people, processes, technology, services, and business integration.

 

 

Business

Delayed US Data Expected to Show Solid Growth in 3rd Quarter

Investment in artificial intelligence is expected to be a source of continued momentum for the US economy in 2026. ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP/File
Investment in artificial intelligence is expected to be a source of continued momentum for the US economy in 2026. ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP/File
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Delayed US Data Expected to Show Solid Growth in 3rd Quarter

Investment in artificial intelligence is expected to be a source of continued momentum for the US economy in 2026. ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP/File
Investment in artificial intelligence is expected to be a source of continued momentum for the US economy in 2026. ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP/File

The US economy is expected to post another solid economic growth reading Tuesday, but the much-delayed figures likely will not settle debate on the labor market, AI and other variables.

Forecasters expect Tuesday's third-quarter gross domestic product (GDP) report to show 3.2 percent growth, according to consensus estimates from MarketWatch and Trading Economics.

That represents a bit of a moderation from the 3.8 percent second-quarter gain following a first-quarter with negative growth. Tuesday's release comes nearly two months after it was originally scheduled due to the US government shutdown, Reuters reported.

The report reflects a much improved US macroeconomic outlook compared with earlier in 2025, when worries about President Donald Trump's aggressive trade policy changes weighed on sentiment.

But by the latter stages of 2025, Trump's administration had negotiated agreements with China and other major economies that prevented enactment of the most onerous tariffs.

Meanwhile, an AI investment boom by Chat GPT-maker OpenAI, Google and other tech giants continued to pick up momentum, keeping the US stock market near record levels.

Pantheon Macroeconomics estimates that US growth in the third quarter came in at a "brisk-looking" 3.5 percent that nonetheless "will overstate the economy's true condition," the research firm said in a note.

A slowing job market and muted retail sales trends are among the factors consistent with "steady but unspectacular GDP growth" looking ahead to 2026, said Pantheon, which predicted the Federal Reserve would cut interest rates further in the new year.

"The risks remain skewed towards a faster cadence or larger decline in rates," said Pantheon, pointing to the Fed's impending leadership change with the 2026 departure of Chair Jerome Powell.

Consumer caution?

The US central bank on December 10 announced an interest rate cut for the third straight meeting.

While inflation remains well above the Fed's two percent target, Powell and other policymakers have described the weakening employment market as the greater concern at the moment.

The Fed's median 2026 GDP forecast is 2.3 percent, up from 1.7 percent projected in 2025, according to a summary of the central bank's outlook.

White House officials have said Trump could nominate Powell's successor in January.

Polling shows declining support for Trump as consumer prices have stayed at an elevated level.

But Kevin Hassett, a White House economic advisor considered the favorite for the Fed post, told Fox News over the weekend that consumers would soon see better times.

"I think that the American people are going to see it in their wallets... they're going to see that President Trump's policies are making them better," said Hassett, who mentioned an expected boost from higher tax refunds in 2026.

But Pantheon argued the economic benefit from tax refunds may be contained, noting that "the relatively low level of consumer confidence suggests many households will save a high share of the windfall."

A December 18 outlook piece from S&P Global Ratings said AI investment would likely buoy the economy but could be offset by political uncertainty under Trump.

"US trade policy uncertainty has settled down, but not US policy drama overall," S&P said.

"Statutory US tariff rates may not move much in 2026, but uncertainty around laws, norms, investment rules, military actions and geopolitics more generally will remain elevated," S&P said. "This uncertainty will likely dampen investment and discretionary consumption."

Business

Cluster2 Company Launches Direct Flights from Muscat to Saudi Arabia's Taif

Three direct flights will take place per week between Muscat and Taif via Oman Air - SPA
Three direct flights will take place per week between Muscat and Taif via Oman Air - SPA
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Cluster2 Company Launches Direct Flights from Muscat to Saudi Arabia's Taif

Three direct flights will take place per week between Muscat and Taif via Oman Air - SPA
Three direct flights will take place per week between Muscat and Taif via Oman Air - SPA

The Cluster2 Company, operator of Taif International Airport, announced the launch of three direct flights per week between Muscat and Taif via Oman Air, starting January 31, SPA reported.

The launch of international flights through the cluster’s airports comes as part of its ongoing commitment to improving the passenger experience and expanding international travel options, while continuing to build strategic partnerships with global airlines to enhance air connectivity in the Kingdom.