The Continuing Education Unit at the College of Law / University of Baghdad organized a scientific workshop on Wednesday, 10/6/2026, titled “Green Hydrogen: Iraq’s Strategy for Transitioning from a Rentier State to a Leading Geoeconomic Power.” The workshop was delivered by Asst.lecturer Ihab Kareem Hassan in the Virtual Court Hall.
The workshop aimed to break dependence on the rentier economy and diversify the economic structure, achieve environmental sustainability and adapt to climate change, as well as localize knowledge-based technology and build national capacities. It also focused on leveraging Iraq’s geographic location to transform it into a regional hub and a key corridor for the production and export of clean energy, contributing to sustainable development and supporting the national economy.
The workshop addressed three main themes. The first explored the concept of green hydrogen and its role in supporting Iraq’s geoeconomic transformation. The second examined Iraq’s geopolitical and natural resources that qualify it to enter this vital field. The third discussed the main geopolitical, technical, and financial challenges facing the adoption of green hydrogen projects.
The workshop concluded with several recommendations, most notably the establishment of a Supreme Council for Green Hydrogen as an independent body that brings together relevant sectoral entities to unify policies and decisions; relying on seawater desalination plants in Basra or recycled treated industrial wastewater instead of freshwater for hydrogen production; launching pilot projects in promising sectors such as low-emission cement and nitrogen fertilizers to gain practical experience and prove economic feasibility; and strengthening energy diplomacy through long-term strategic partnerships with consuming countries to secure future markets before moving to large-scale commercial production.
