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Jordan to Export Electricity to Iraq

Employees walk grounds of Dhi Qar Combined Cycle Power Plant near Iraqi city of Nasiriyah (File photo: AFP)
Employees walk grounds of Dhi Qar Combined Cycle Power Plant near Iraqi city of Nasiriyah (File photo: AFP)
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Jordan to Export Electricity to Iraq

Employees walk grounds of Dhi Qar Combined Cycle Power Plant near Iraqi city of Nasiriyah (File photo: AFP)
Employees walk grounds of Dhi Qar Combined Cycle Power Plant near Iraqi city of Nasiriyah (File photo: AFP)

Jordan signed an agreement to sell electricity to Iraq and connect the two countries' power grids, according to an official Jordanian source.

The agreement was signed via videoconferencing and attended by Jordanian Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Hala Zawati and her Iraqi counterpart Majed Emarah.

The deal says that Jordan will provide Iraq with 1,000 gigawatt-hours per year in the first phase of the project.

Zawati said that supplying Iraq with electricity will begin after the completion of the construction of al-Risha plant in Jordan, and the establishment of the 300-km power line connecting it with the al-Qaim conversion plant in Iraq.

It will be completed within 26 months of the signing date of the contract, the Minister added.

She highlighted the importance of the Jordanian-Iraqi power grid connection, pointing out that the project enhances the stability and reliability of power networks in both countries.

It serves the intention of establishing a joint power market in the Arab world, which would promote Arab economic integration, announced Zawati.

Baghdad currently imports gas and electricity from Tehran following a US waiver allowing Iraq to import energy sources from Iran without risking sanctions.

Despite rich oil sources, Baghdad relies heavily on Iran in the field of energy and imports a third of its gas and electricity consumption. Iraq is unable to achieve energy self-sufficiency to secure the needs of its 40 million people because of a decaying infrastructure.

The US extended the waiver granted to Iraq for two additional months, an Iraqi official told AFP.

When Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi formed the government in May, Washington granted Baghdad an exemption for a period of four months.

Meanwhile, Iraq’s General Company for Passenger Transport and Delegations at the Ministry of Transport announced preliminary talks to open a new route to Egypt, via Jordan.

Local media quoted the Company’s general director, Karim Hussein, who said there is a priority to open a new route to Egypt.

Hussein said the company's financial performance was profitable between 2018 and until the first two months of 2020, when it faced many losses due to travel bans and lockdowns imposed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

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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.