Iraq Suggests Gas, Petrochemical Projects to Saudi Firms

Men work for Iraqi Drilling Company at Rumaila oilfield in Basra, Iraq, May 11, 2017. REUTERS/Essam Al-Sudani/File Photo
Men work for Iraqi Drilling Company at Rumaila oilfield in Basra, Iraq, May 11, 2017. REUTERS/Essam Al-Sudani/File Photo
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Iraq Suggests Gas, Petrochemical Projects to Saudi Firms

Men work for Iraqi Drilling Company at Rumaila oilfield in Basra, Iraq, May 11, 2017. REUTERS/Essam Al-Sudani/File Photo
Men work for Iraqi Drilling Company at Rumaila oilfield in Basra, Iraq, May 11, 2017. REUTERS/Essam Al-Sudani/File Photo

Dr. Hamid al-Zawbai, Deputy Minister of Oil for Gas Affairs, has affirmed that a list of investments in the petrochemicals and oil fields were suggested before Saudi investors.

Discussions are ongoing with Saudi Basic Industries Corp (SABIC) and Saudi Aramco on Nebras petrochemical complex and Akkas gas field, whose daily output is 300 million cubic feet.

Zawbai statements were made on the sidelines of a forum held by Saudi Exports Development Authority and Saudi-Iraqi Trade Mission on Tuesday in Khobar, where 35 Saudi institutions from the oil and gas sector took part as well as heads of four Iraqi oil firms.

He underpinned coordination with SABIC in Nebras, with investments ranging between USD6b to USD8b, revealing SABIC's interested in it. Zawbai stressed the importance of SABIC being part of this project with the Iraqi government besides Shell Oil Company.

In the same context, the Iraqi official highlighted that talks are ongoing with Aramco in the field of developing exploratory gas fields such as the Akkas gas field.

The Saudi-Iraqi Joint Coordination Council (SICC) has taken significant steps in developing Saudi-Iraqi ties, he noted, namely steps regarding investment in oil and gas.

The deputy minister stated that the work is underway to suggest investment in the sector of gas and oil in Iraq before Saudi companies.

Zawbai assured Saudi investors willing to enter the Iraqi market that the security condition is stable.



China Expands Visa-free Entry to More Countries in Bid to Boost Economy

Shoppers with their purchased goods walk past a popular outdoor shopping mall in Beijing, on Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
Shoppers with their purchased goods walk past a popular outdoor shopping mall in Beijing, on Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
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China Expands Visa-free Entry to More Countries in Bid to Boost Economy

Shoppers with their purchased goods walk past a popular outdoor shopping mall in Beijing, on Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
Shoppers with their purchased goods walk past a popular outdoor shopping mall in Beijing, on Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

China announced Friday that it would expand visa-free entry to citizens of nine more countries as it seeks to boost tourism and business travel to help revive a sluggish economy.
Starting Nov. 30, travelers from Bulgaria, Romania, Malta, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Estonia, Latvia and Japan will be able to enter China for up to 30 days without a visa, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said.
That will bring to 38 the number of countries that have been granted visa-free access since last year. Only three countries had visa-free access previously, and theirs had been eliminated during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The permitted length of stay for visa-free entry is being increased from the previous 15 days, Lin said, and people participating in exchanges will be eligible for the first time. China has been pushing people-to-people exchange between students, academics and others to try to improve its sometimes strained relations with other countries, The Associated Press reported.
China strictly restricted entry during the pandemic and ended its restrictions much later than most other countries. It restored the previous visa-free access for citizens of Brunei and Singapore in July 2023, and then expanded visa-free entry to six more countries — France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia — on Dec. 1 of last year.
The program has since been expanded in tranches. Some countries have announced visa-free entry for Chinese citizens, notably Thailand, which wants to bring back Chinese tourists.
For the three months from July through September this year, China recorded 8.2 million entries by foreigners, of which 4.9 million were visa-free, the official Xinhua News Agency said, quoting a Foreign Ministry consular official.