After several false dawns, the sun of Iraqi Kurdistan is now set to rise over its mountains. After more than two years during which the pipeline through Turkey from the semi-autonomous Kurdish region of Iraq was closed, oil is now finally flowing again. However, this is just the first step for both Kurdistan and all of Iraq.
The Iraq-Turkey Pipeline (ITP) started operations in 1977, carrying oil from the area around the super-giant Kirkuk field in northern Iraq to the Mediterranean port of Ceyhan. It was a crucial route for Iraq to avoid dependence on its political rivals, Iran to the east and Syria to the west. Indeed, after Saddam Hussain invaded Iran in 1980, Iraq’s oil exports through the Gulf were cut off, leaving Turkey as its sole outlet. A second, larger line on the same route entered service in 1987, late in the war.
In 2013, the Iraqi Kurdistan Region completed a pipeline linking its own fields to the ITP, and began marketing its oil independently of the Iraqi federal authorities, who claimed this was their responsibility. Baghdad complained that the treaty with Ankara governing use of the pipeline, renewed and updated in 2010, gave them exclusive use. After nearly nine years of arbitral hearings, the judgment in March 2023 found in Iraq’s favour on two counts, and awarded it almost $2 billion in damages, partly offset by $527 million of Turkish counterclaims.
Turkey closed the pipeline. Although it was then promptly ready to re-open it, the dispute over oil rights between the Iraqi federal authorities and the Kurdistan Region blocked progress.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani wanted to resolve the pipeline impasse, but came under pressure from anti-Kurdish political elements in Baghdad. He was keen to reach an agreement to strengthen his position ahead of November’s parliamentary elections. The US also exerted its influence, wanting to assist its companies active in Kurdistan, to bring more oil on to the market, and to weaken Iranian-aligned interests in Baghdad whom the Americans saw as blockers.
Iraqi Kurdistan and the federal government eventually reached an agreement that the federal Ministry of Oil, through its unit Somo, would market the crude, in turn unlocking central budget payments to Erbil.
However, the international oil companies operating in Kurdistan balked at restarting exports until their financial interests were assured and the validity of their contracts accepted by the federal side, at least implicitly. Then, a deal was almost derailed by drone strikes that lightly damaged some fields in July and temporarily cut about 100,000 barrels per day from output.
Finally, after exhaustive negotiations, a deal has been struck. All the major oil companies operating in the Kurdistan Region have signed up, with the exception of Russia’s Rosneft and Gazprom Neft, and DNO of Norway. DNO has remaining concerns about the security of payments, and in particular, its large share of the more than $1 billion of past invoices owed to the companies.
Somo will market the oil, and companies will provisionally receive $16 per barrel to cover their costs. This will be adjusted later following a consultant’s review.
The Kurdistan region is meant to deliver at least 230,000 bpd to Somo for export, with 50,000 bpd reserved for local use.
The region’s production was about 450,000 bpd immediately before the pipeline closure, and has averaged about 280,000 bpd since the start of last year. That is comparable to a single field in southern Iraq and is not even the largest.
The restart of the pipeline therefore does not make much difference to the market in the short term. About 100,000-150,000 bpd of production may be added as the operators in Kurdistan ramp up to full operations. Iraq was anyway constrained in output by Opec+ policy. With the group’s latest decision to raise allowable output, it has more room to accommodate a return of full Kurdish volumes, which was an unstated sticking point until now.
More important are the longer-term implications. Baghdad has finally, after two decades of acrimony, legal disputes and budget interruptions, accepted the legitimacy of the independent Kurdish oil sector. Conversely, Erbil has conceded the federal authority over exports and petroleum payments.
A more stable flow from the central budget should stabilise the Kurdish economy. Oil companies such as DNO, America’s HKN and Hunt, UK-listed Genel and Gulf Keystone, Canada’s Shamaran and others should now be able to invest consistently in new developments, boosting the region’s output. Sharjah-based Crescent and Dana Gas don’t produce oil in Kurdistan, but they do have important gas operations, which now have a clearer path to expand.
The next milestone is the expiry of the Iraq-Turkey pipeline treaty in July next year. Turkey has indicated that it will not renew the accord, but wants a new treaty.
The pipeline is a key strategic asset for both countries, but it could be much better used. It could be rehabilitated to its original capacity of 1.5 million bpd, and Turkey wants to expand it to 2.2 million bpd.
In March, BP agreed to redevelop the Kirkuk field and its neighbours. Increased output here would need export outlets. Ankara would also like the right to use the line for its own new fields in the south-east. A more comprehensive energy arrangement would additionally cover gas and electricity. Turkey will probably also seek to negotiate down the arbitral payment it owes.
Iraq has for years kicked around the idea of building a pipeline to Aqaba in Jordan, giving it an outlet independent of the Gulf, which could be interrupted by bad weather or by military action. The latest Israel-Iran war heightened this concern, but the Aqaba route is long and expensive. The new regime in Syria is also open to the idea of reviving the Kirkuk-Baniyas pipeline. This option strengthens Baghdad’s position in talks with Ankara.
Previous short-term deals over oil and the budget between Baghdad and Erbil have broken down within a few months. There are still plenty of details that could derail co-operation this time. But fixing one major headache and distraction should see all of Iraq’s energy industry flow more smoothly.
Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
England squad
Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Dominic Bess, James Bracey, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Sam Curran, Joe Denly, Ben Foakes, Lewis Gregory, Keaton Jennings, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Saqib Mahmood, Craig Overton, Jamie Overton, Matthew Parkinson, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Dom Sibley, Ben Stokes, Olly Stone, Amar Virdi, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood
Race card:
6.30pm: Baniyas (PA) Group 2 Dh195,000 1,400m.
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 1,400m.
7.40pm: Handicap (TB) Dh190,000 1,200m.
8.15pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 1,200m.
8.50pm: Rated Conditions (TB) Dh240,000 1,600m.
9.20pm: Handicap (TB) Dh165,000 1,400m.
10pm: Handicap (TB) Dh175,000 2,000m.
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Gulf Under 19s final
Dubai College A 50-12 Dubai College B
Results
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 2,200m; Winner: Gurm, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer)
5.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Al Nafece, Al Muatasm Al Balushi, Mohammed Ramadan
6pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: Ashton Tourettes, Adrie de Vries, Ibrahim Aseel
6.30pm: Arabian Triple Crown – Group 3 (PA) Dh300,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Ottoman, Adrie de Vries, Abdallah Al Hammadi
7pm: Liwa Oasis – Group 2 (PA) 300,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: Hakeemat Muscat, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Ganbaru, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
Superliminal%20
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Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Will the pound fall to parity with the dollar?
The idea of pound parity now seems less far-fetched as the risk grows that Britain may split away from the European Union without a deal.
Rupert Harrison, a fund manager at BlackRock, sees the risk of it falling to trade level with the dollar on a no-deal Brexit. The view echoes Morgan Stanley’s recent forecast that the currency can plunge toward $1 (Dh3.67) on such an outcome. That isn’t the majority view yet – a Bloomberg survey this month estimated the pound will slide to $1.10 should the UK exit the bloc without an agreement.
New Prime Minister Boris Johnson has repeatedly said that Britain will leave the EU on the October 31 deadline with or without an agreement, fuelling concern the nation is headed for a disorderly departure and fanning pessimism toward the pound. Sterling has fallen more than 7 per cent in the past three months, the worst performance among major developed-market currencies.
“The pound is at a much lower level now but I still think a no-deal exit would lead to significant volatility and we could be testing parity on a really bad outcome,” said Mr Harrison, who manages more than $10 billion in assets at BlackRock. “We will see this game of chicken continue through August and that’s likely negative for sterling,” he said about the deadlocked Brexit talks.
The pound fell 0.8 per cent to $1.2033 on Friday, its weakest closing level since the 1980s, after a report on the second quarter showed the UK economy shrank for the first time in six years. The data means it is likely the Bank of England will cut interest rates, according to Mizuho Bank.
The BOE said in November that the currency could fall even below $1 in an analysis on possible worst-case Brexit scenarios. Options-based calculations showed around a 6.4 per cent chance of pound-dollar parity in the next one year, markedly higher than 0.2 per cent in early March when prospects of a no-deal outcome were seemingly off the table.
Bloomberg
'My Son'
Director: Christian Carion
Starring: James McAvoy, Claire Foy, Tom Cullen, Gary Lewis
Rating: 2/5
Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
Brief scoreline:
Manchester United 2
Rashford 28', Martial 72'
Watford 1
Doucoure 90'
THE BIO: Mohammed Ashiq Ali
Proudest achievement: “I came to a new country and started this shop”
Favourite TV programme: the news
Favourite place in Dubai: Al Fahidi. “They started the metro in 2009 and I didn’t take it yet.”
Family: six sons in Dubai and a daughter in Faisalabad
'Champions'
Director: Manuel Calvo
Stars: Yassir Al Saggaf and Fatima Al Banawi
Rating: 2/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
SPECS
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Jawan
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Avatar%20(2009)
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