Are Barzanis using Davos for Kurdistan’s benefit or themselves?

Are Barzanis using Davos for Kurdistan’s benefit or personal gain? — Masrour Barzani (center), the caretaker prime minister of Iraq’s Kurdistan Regional Government with Safin Dizayee (left), the head of the Department of Foreign Relations in KRG, in Davos, Switzerland, January 19, 2025. Photo: X/Amera Anwar

DAVOS, Switzerland, — Masrour Barzani, the caretaker prime minister of Iraq’s Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), attended the Davos Forum in 2025, drawing sharp criticism for the extravagant costs involved.

According to a report by Rojnews, Barzani and his delegation spent millions of dollars over four days at the exclusive gathering of global leaders and business elites, raising serious questions about government spending priorities amid ongoing financial struggles in Iraqi Kurdistan Region.

The Davos Forum, an annual non-governmental event, requires significant financial contributions from participants. According to the report, basic membership fees range from $60,000 to $600,000 annually, with individual attendance fees between $28,000 and $50,000 per person.

Strategic partners pay a minimum annual fee of $650,000, which includes attendance for multiple representatives. A delegation of five, such as the one led by Barzani, could incur expenses of up to $900,000, excluding travel, lodging, and other personal costs.

The report say that Masrour Barzani’s attendance, factoring in accommodations and travel, amounted to approximately $1.5 million. The lavish spending has fueled public anger, particularly as the KRG continues to struggle with revenue shortages and delayed salaries for public employees. Workers in the Kurdistan Region have yet to receive December 2024 wages, and the fate of January 2025 salaries remains uncertain.

Critics have questioned what the KRG gains from such expenditures. According to the report, Barzani has attended the forum for five consecutive years, spending millions of dollars, yet no tangible benefits for the Kurdish people have been evident. Instead, attention has turned to the Barzani family’s growing wealth.

Often referred to as “Kurdish oligarchs,” the Barzanis have amassed significant assets, much of it allegedly linked to oil revenues and opaque business dealings.

Critics highlight pervasive corruption in the Kurdish region, with watchdogs and leaked documents exposing billions of dollars in unaccounted oil revenue and smuggling operations.

Iraqi Kurdistan, ruled primarily by the Barzani-led Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), is widely regarded as one of Iraq’s most corrupt regions. Critics accuse the Barzani clan of prioritizing personal enrichment while neglecting the Kurdish population.

Unemployment, deteriorating public services, rising taxes, and mounting debt remain daily struggles for Kurdish citizens. Against this backdrop, the Barzani family’s participation in expensive international events like Davos has drawn outrage. Citizens are questioning how a government that claims it cannot pay salaries can justify such spending.

There is a growing need for greater accountability and transparency in managing public funds. For many in the Kurdistan Region, the expenditures reflect a disconnect between the government’s priorities and the needs of its people, according to experts.

The video report in Kurdish Sorani from Rojnews: