Iraq's banking sector is struggling to put its ever-increasing assets to work, a situation not helped by the fact that it is dominated by inefficient state-owned institutions. Can an influx of foreign banks – and the technology and expertise they bring – help transform the sector, or will development hinge on the state-owned banks' ability to reform?  

Since the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq, the telecoms and mobile phone industry has become the fastest growing sector in the country after oil and gas. And the competition between the three major service providers is set to push the industry further.

The governor of the Iraqi province of Al Anbar updates Courtney Fingar on the area's progress, including news of a $1bn fertiliser project.

Iraq has made solid progress in developing its oil capabilities and has ambitious plans to increase production further, according to its minister of oil, Abdul Karim al-Luaibi.

Iraq's abundance of oil has been blamed for much of its instability over the past few decades. However, its new government is vowing to use the country's oil reserves to bring greater unity to the Middle East.