Jiyad: The Challenges Facing the Oil Sector in Iraq

By Ahmed Mousa Jiyad. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News.

A Debating Event on the Challenges Facing the Oil Sector in Iraq

The "Al-Mushtarek" platform convened the event on Friday evening, December 19th. I addressed the most important and impacting challenges facing the oil sector and their consequences on its development, particularly during Al-Sudani government.

My presentation addressed three main topics:

1. The first theme presents a conceptual framework of "oil policy" in Iraq. Through my continuous monitoring of the oil sector in Iraq during the first quarter of this century, I presented and clarified the conceptual framework of the oil policy in Iraq and its four essential and interconnected pillars that must be adopted and adhered to.

2. The second topic reviewed and critically analysed a range of challenges and constraints facing the oil sector, categorized them into three main groups:

Externally imposed challenges, particularly those characterized as coercive, intrusive, and arbitrary.

The second includes the Consensual Constraints (external and internal). And the third comprises a set of domestic policy-originated challenges and practices  (internal).

For this second topic, facts and evidence-based methodology was heavily used citing relevant and verifiable evidence, facts, and official/formal data.

3. On the third theme I presented a number of possible proposals and opinions on necessary implementable actions, emphasizing urgent matters requiring priority.

The debating event was conducted in Arabic via Zoom facility, utilizing PowerPoint slides, and lasted for over two hours.

Click here to view the full recording of the event.

The abstract prepared by the event director using artificial intelligence (DeepSeek), is also available through the same link.

Additionally, the PowerPoint file I prepared for the event is attached and can be viewed and downloaded.

Click here to read the full PowerPoint presentation [Arabic].

Mr Jiyad is an independent development consultant, scholar and Associate with the former Centre for Global Energy Studies (CGES), London. He was formerly a senior economist with the Iraq National Oil Company and Iraq's Ministry of Oil, Chief Expert for the Council of Ministers, Director at the Ministry of Trade, and International Specialist with UN organizations in Uganda, Sudan and Jordan. He is now based in Norway (Email: mou-jiya(at)online.no, Skype ID: Ahmed Mousa Jiyad). Read more of Mr Jiyad's biography here.