Deputy Prime Minister: Dollar Exchange Rate In The Parallel Market Will Fall And Approach The Official Rate
Baghdad - INA - 11/01/2026 Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, Mohammed Tamim, confirmed on Sunday that the dollar exchange rate in the parallel market will decrease and move closer to the official rate. He also announced that a new shipment of $500 million is set to arrive tomorrow from the United States.
In an exclusive interview with Al-Iraqiya News—to be aired this evening at 11:00 PM, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Mohammed Tamim stated that "the parallel exchange rate will definitely decrease, and will be very close to the official exchange rate."
He added that "the government’s relationship with the United States is excellent and built on a foundation of trust," noting that "the supply of cash dollars to Iraq had dropped in previous years to less than $3 billion annually."
Tamim explained that "over the past two months, the United States has taken steps to send $3 billion," pointing out that "the first batch arrived last Thursday, and the second batch will arrive tomorrow, Monday—with each shipment exceeding $500 million."
Tamim expressed his confidence that "the measures to be taken by the government and the Central Bank, along with the amounts of dollars to be released into the market, will lead to a decrease in the exchange rate—bringing it close to, or perhaps even equal to, the official rate, as is the case in some neighboring countries."
Iraq Expects $500 Million As Adviser Predicts Dinar Appreciation
At a Glance
• Iraq expects another $500 million cash-dollar shipment from the US Treasury.
• Deputy Prime Minister Mohammed Ali Tamim announced the expected delivery.
• An adviser to the Iraqi prime minister predicts the parallel-market exchange rate will move closer to the official rate.
• Previous US cash-dollar deliveries reportedly totaled $3 billion annually.
Iraq expects to receive another $500 million in cash dollars from the US Treasury, as an adviser to the Iraqi prime minister predicts the gap between official and parallel-market exchange rates will narrow.
Key Statements and Focus Areas
Exchange Rate Outlook
An adviser to the Iraqi prime minister said the parallel-market value of the Iraqi dinar is expected to approach the official exchange rate in the coming period. He said he stood by his assessment.
The adviser also described relations between Baghdad and Washington as positive and based on mutual trust.
US Dollar Deliveries
Deputy Prime Minister Mohammed Ali Tamim said Iraq expects to receive $500 million from the US Treasury for the Central Bank of Iraq.
The adviser said annual cash-dollar deliveries to Iraq had previously been reduced to $3 billion. He added that the United States had decided over the past two months to send $3 billion, with shipments continuing.
He also said that $1 billion had arrived the previous Thursday.
Iraq is expecting another $500 million cash-dollar shipment from the US Treasury to the Central Bank of Iraq, according to Deputy Prime Minister Mohammed Ali Tamim.
The expected delivery comes as an adviser to the Iraqi prime minister predicts that the gap between the official and parallel-market exchange rates will narrow, bringing the dinar's parallel-market value closer to its official rate.
The adviser said he stood by his forecast and described the relationship between Baghdad and Washington as positive and built on mutual trust.
He also said the United States had resumed cash-dollar deliveries totaling $3 billion over the past two months, following an earlier reduction in annual shipments to that level. According to the adviser, $1 billion arrived the previous Thursday, while further deliveries are continuing.
The expected $500 million transfer adds to the reported dollar shipments, although the impact on exchange rates will also depend on access to official dollar channels, market demand and confidence in the banking system.
https://www.channel8.com/english/news/c234c755-5633-46b6-9de8-e5ae85a6b7b3
The Central Bank Of Iraq's Reserves Jump By More Than 12 Trillion Dinars In Weeks.
November 2, 2026Last updated: November 2, 2026 The Independent/ - The official reserves of the Central Bank of Iraq recorded a remarkable increase during the first half of October 2026, reaching about 113.991 trillion dinars, an increase of more than 12 trillion dinars compared to its levels recorded last September, in a development that reflects an improvement in the size of the reserve assets held by the Central Bank.
Data from the Central Bank’s financial indicators, up to October 15, 2026, showed that total official reserves rose from 101.718 trillion dinars in September to 113.991 trillion dinars, an increase of 12.273 trillion dinars, and a growth rate of approximately 12.1%.
According to the data, the value of gold and special drawing rights amounted to about 35.324 trillion dinars, while foreign investments amounted to about 77.925 trillion dinars, while cash assets inside the vaults of the Central Bank amounted to about 742 billion dinars.
These figures indicate that foreign investments constitute the largest share of official reserves, at approximately 68.4%, followed by the value of gold and Special Drawing Rights at approximately 31%, while cash assets in the bank's vaults represent a limited percentage of the total.
What does the increase in reserves mean for the Iraqi economy?
The rise in official reserves is a positive indicator of the central bank's ability to meet external obligations and enhance confidence in monetary stability, particularly in an economy that relies heavily on oil revenues to finance public spending and provide foreign currency.
High reserves also provide the central bank with additional margin to manage foreign currency liquidity, meet external payment needs, and deal with potential economic and financial fluctuations.
However, the increase in reserves does not necessarily mean a similar increase in available dollar cash liquidity within the Iraqi market, as reserve assets are distributed among various investments, balances and assets, subject to considerations related to liquidity, return and risk management.
Determining the direct causes of this increase remains linked to understanding the changes in external financial flows, the movement of foreign assets, gold prices, and reserve management operations during the period mentioned.
The central bank confirms improved reserves.
The spokesman for the Central Bank of Iraq, Mahmoud Dagher, confirmed on October 27 that dollar reserves had recovered to about $80 billion, after falling to about $73 billion, attributing the improvement to increased oil export revenues.
Dagher pointed out that the importance of reserves lies not only in their absolute size, but also in their adequacy to cover Iraq's foreign trade needs, warning against the continued heavy reliance on oil to finance government spending. Iraqi Media Network +1
Will the rise be reflected in the price of the dollar?
Despite the importance of the recorded increase, its impact on the dollar exchange rate in the local market depends on other factors, most notably the size of the demand for foreign currency, the regularity of external transfers, import financing mechanisms, and the availability of cash dollars.
Therefore, the increase in reserves is a supporting factor for monetary stability, but it does not constitute a sole guarantee for a decrease in the price of the dollar in the parallel markets.
In conclusion, the data reflects a clear improvement in the reserve position of the Central Bank of Iraq during October. However, assessing the sustainability of this improvement requires monitoring the indicators during the coming months, especially in light of the fluctuations in oil prices and the challenges facing Iraqi public finances.
The most important question is whether this increase represents the beginning of a sustainable recovery of reserves, or a temporary improvement linked to higher oil revenues and changes in the value of reserve assets https://mustaqila.com/احتياطيات-البنك-المركزي-العراقي-تقفز/
CBI Reserves Top 113 Trillion Dinars After Devaluation
2026-11-02 / Shafaq News- Baghdad The Central Bank of Iraq's (CBI) official reserves stood at about 113.991 trillion dinars (about $75 billion) on Oct. 15, 2026, up from 101.718 trillion dinars in September, according to the bank's financial indicators.
The 12.273 trillion-dinar increase in the reported dinar value came after Iraq devalued its currency on Oct. 7, raising the official selling price of the dollar to 1,520 dinars from 1,320, which increases the local-currency value of foreign-currency reserves.
Foreign investments made up about 77.925 trillion dinars (about $51.3 billion) of the total, according to the data reviewed by Shafaq News. Gold and Special Drawing Rights (SDRs), a reserve asset issued by the International Monetary Fund, accounted for about 35.324 trillion dinars (about $23.2 billion), while cash held in the CBI's vaults stood at about 742 billion dinars (about $488 million). https://www.shafaq.com/en/Economy/CBI-reserves-top-113-trillion-dinars-after-devaluation
Iraqi Parliament To Investigate Investment Exemptions Under Al-Sudani Government -
2026-11-02 / Shafaq News- Baghdad The Iraqi parliament's Integrity Committee plans to track files concerning exemptions granted under the previous government of Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani and alleged irregularities in the estimated costs of investment projects, a member of the committee, Hamed Al-Fatlawi, told Shafaq News on Monday.
Political disagreements among parliamentary blocs over the selection of committee chairs and their deputies had prevented the appointment of a head for the Integrity Committee, he added, noting that the disagreements also affected leadership positions in other parliamentary committees.
He said the failure to appoint committee heads was affecting their work and oversight performance. A parliamentary session was expected next week to vote on committee chairs and members, he said. “A session scheduled for last week was postponed because of a lack of political agreement.”
Regarding the investigations, Al-Fatlawi said the committee was examining files involving exemptions granted by the previous government and investment projects that had experienced "inflated cost estimates."
The committee intended to open these files in the coming period, he confirmed, indicating that the Integrity Committee had hosted several officials and representatives of the Federal Board of Supreme Audit to review information and reports concerning ministry projects for 2024 and 2025. “The reports received by the committee had identified numerous violations.”
Al-Fatlawi stressed that the committee would continue pursuing corruption cases and that its oversight activities were not tied to a specific timetable, adding that investigations would continue in the coming days.
The issue of investment exemptions granted under Al-Sudani's government has previously drawn widespread controversy and criticism from oversight and legal circles.
Last year, former Integrity Committee member Hadi Al-Salami said in a televised interview that Al-Sudani's government, the Higher Investment Committee, and the Council of Ministers had granted approximately 400 exemptions from laws and regulations to investment companies without requiring public announcements or tender procedures.