Iraq Economic News and Points To Ponder Late Saturday Evening 9-19-26
CBI Counters Fears Over Dollar Supply
2026-09-19 Shafaq News- Baghdad Iraq has enough foreign reserves to meet demand for dollars for imports, card payments and travelers at the official exchange rate, the country’s Central Bank (CBI) said on Saturday, as the Iraqi dinar weakened sharply against the US currency, hovering around 160,000 Iraqi dinars per $100.
In a statement, the CBI attributed the rise to market speculation and expectations, as well as attempts by some beneficiaries to exploit geopolitical tensions in the region and unsettle economic and financial conditions.
The bank did not identify those it accused of benefiting from the situation.
Urging the public to rely on its official data and statements and avoid information circulated through unreliable sources, the CBI pledged to continue financing foreign trade through approved channels and for authorized purposes.
Earlier today, the CBI said that foreign reserves fell by nearly 17% in the first seven months of 2026 to $80.633 billion, with reserves declining by more than $5.5 billion in July alone
https://www.shafaq.com/en/Economy/CBI-counters-fears-over-dollar-supply
Iraqi Finance Minister Calls For Faster US Energy Projects
2026-09-19 Shafaq News- Baghdad Iraqi Finance Minister Faleh Sari on Saturday urged US companies operating in Iraq’s oil and energy sectors to accelerate project implementation, saying faster progress would “support foreign investment” and the development of key sectors.
During talks with US Chargé d’Affaires Steven Fagin, Sari said Iraq’s relations with other countries are guided by national interests and called for ties with Washington to remain balanced.
Fagin described the Iraqi government delegation’s July visit to Washington as “very successful” and urged both sides to build on its results to strengthen economic and financial cooperation.
Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi arrived in Washington on July 13 at the head of a government and business delegation. Shafaq News obtained an official list of 48 agreements and memoranda of understanding covering energy, infrastructure, technology, healthcare, finance, and other sectors.
Separately, the US Chamber of Commerce said more than 50 agreements, partnerships, and memoranda of understanding were signed or announced during the visit, with a combined value exceeding $60 billion.
https://www.shafaq.com/en/Economy/Iraqi-FM-calls-for-faster-US-energy-projects
CBI Foreign Reserves Drop Below $81B
2026-09-19 06:42 Shafaq News- Baghdad (Updated at 23:30) Iraq’s foreign reserves fell by about 17.2% during the first seven months of 2026, reaching $80.633 billion at the end of July, according to data from the Central Bank of Iraq (CBI).
The reserves stood at $86.175 billion at the end of June, compared with $97.432 billion at the end of 2025.
Measured in Iraqi dinars, foreign reserves fell to 104.823 trillion dinars ($80.633 billion) at the end of July, from 112.027 trillion dinars ($86.175 billion) at the end of June and 126.661 trillion dinars ($97.432 billion) at the end of 2025.
Gold holdings moved in the opposite direction in July, rising slightly to 29.665 trillion dinars ($22.819 billion) from 29.415 trillion dinars ($22.627 billion) in June. They remained below the 31.488 trillion dinars ($24.222 billion) recorded at the end of 2025.
CBI investments declined to 75.034 trillion dinars ($57.718 billion) at the end of July, compared with 81.998 trillion dinars ($63.075 billion) at the end of June and 93.266 trillion dinars ($71.743 billion) at the end of 2025.
Cash held in the central bank’s vaults also fell sharply, reaching 124 billion dinars ($95.385 million) at the end of July, compared with 614 billion dinars ($472.308 million) a month earlier and 1.907 trillion dinars ($1.467 billion) at the end of 2025.
https://www.shafaq.com/en/Economy/CBI-foreign-reserves-drop-below-81B
"Fighting Corruption Or Selective Enforcement?" Haider Al-Abadi: Why Are Some People Arrested While Others Are Left Alone? Not Applying The Law Equally To Everyone Is Itself Corruption
Baghdad - One News - 9/18/2026 Former Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi criticized what he described as the failure to include everyone in anti-corruption measures, questioning the reasons for arresting certain individuals while not others, and warning that selectivity in applying the law could turn the fight against corruption itself into "corruption".
Al-Abadi said: “Why were certain people arrested and not others?” He considered that not applying anti-corruption measures to everyone means that it has become “corruption.”
He added that applying anti-corruption measures to everyone could, in his words, lead to “the collapse of the political process in Iraq,” referring to the extent to which corruption cases are intertwined with the political system. (Maliki & others)
In the government formation file, Al-Abadi described the positions of deputy prime ministers as “superfluous,” considering that creating them in light of the financial crisis would constitute an additional burden and could harm Prime Minister Ali Al-Zidi and his government.
Regarding the issue of weapons, the former Prime Minister criticized the shift from the principle of "monopolizing weapons" to "regulating weapons," describing this change as "a failure and detrimental to Iraq," and stressing the need to adhere to the principle of the state's monopoly on weapons. https://1news-iq.net/مكافحة-الفساد-أم-انتقائية؟-حيدر-الع/
"Corruption Has Gone Beyond Theft To The Plundering Of Public Funds," Al-Hakim Says, Calling For Automation And E-Government To Protect State Funds
Baghdad - One News - 9/19/2026 Ammar al-Hakim, head of the National State Forces Alliance and leader of the National Wisdom Movement, warned that the recently discovered cases of corruption have gone beyond the stage of “theft” and reached the stage of “plundering public funds,” calling for expanding reliance on automation and e-government to protect state funds.
During his meeting with a group of organizational leaders of the National Wisdom Movement in Karbala, Al-Hakim said that preserving public funds requires adopting automation systems, e-government, and dealing with greater transparency, which reduces human intervention in government procedures.
He considered that adopting this approach represents one of the best means to combat corruption, by enhancing transparency, protecting public funds, and reducing the spaces that can be exploited in illegal practices.
On the issue of weapons, Al-Hakim renewed his call to address the problem of weapons outside the framework of the state through dialogue and understanding, stressing the need to prioritize the public interest over private interests and to strengthen internal solidarity.
He called for containment, enduring the pain, and making the most of the current phase, along with communicating with political forces and establishing the best relations with them, while emphasizing the importance of institutional work and serving citizens with the available means.
On the organizational level, Al-Hakim stressed the importance of moving from the stage of dissemination to the stage of influence, noting that leadership means the ability to influence, and that being informed about political positions on internal and external issues contributes to enhancing awareness of developments and their outcomes.
He also called for pride in the historical identity and national heritage of the Wisdom Movement and recalling the stances of its leaders and symbols, stressing the importance of strengthening presence, influence, and institutional work.