Iraq Economic News and Points To Ponder Sunday Morning 1-11-26

Unregulated Digital Revenues Pose Financial Risks In Iraq, Expert Warns

2026-01-11 Shafaq News– Baghdad   Iraq’s rapidly expanding digital content sector operates largely without regulation, allowing significant online revenues to move outside state oversight and increasing financial risk, a member of the Dijlah Center for Strategic Planning warned.

Speaking to Shafaq News on Sunday, Ali Karim Idhayib noted that the spread of social media, especially live streaming and paid content, has created parallel cash flows beyond existing controls, cautioning that the absence of clear rules on income disclosure, taxation, and supervision leaves the sector vulnerable to misuse, including tax evasion and the movement of funds with unclear origins under media or entertainment labels.

According to Chatham House, a London-based policy institute, Iraq’s digital economy is expanding faster than the state’s ability to monitor it, driven by a surge in online retail, ride-hailing platforms, and content monetization over the past five years. While these sectors have become a key opportunity for Iraq’s youth, who make up more than 60% of the population and face unemployment exceeding 35%, the think tank noted that weak infrastructure, unstable regulations, limited financing, and fragmented oversight are major constraints.

“The challenge is not technology itself, but how it is managed,” Idhayib stressed, pointing to international models that require transparency, integrate digital earnings into tax systems, and coordinate with major platforms. Iraq, he added, needs a similar framework adapted to local conditions.

He called for a national effort involving state institutions, economists, and communications regulators to align regulation with the pace of digital growth.   https://shafaq.com/en/Economy/Unregulated-digital-revenues-pose-financial-risks-in-Iraq-expert-warns

Dollar Opens Lower In Baghdad, Higher In Erbil Markets

Economy & Business  USD/IQD Exchange  2026-01-11 Shafaq News– Baghdad/ Erbil  The US dollar opened Sunday’s trading at a lower rate in Baghdad while recording a slight increase in the Kurdistan Region, according to a Shafaq News market survey.

In Baghdad, the dollar opened at 146,000 Iraqi dinars per 100 dollars, down by 800 dinars from the previous session, when it closed at 146,800 dinars per 100 dollars at the Al-Kifah and Al-Harithiya exchanges.

Local exchange shops in the capital sold the dollar at 146,500 dinars per 100 dollars, while buying prices stood at 145,500 dinars.

In Erbil, the dollar edged higher at the opening of trading, with selling prices reaching 145,950 dinars per 100 dollars and buying prices at 145,900 dinars. This marked a slight increase compared with the last session, when the selling price stood at 145,700 dinars per 100 dollars, while the buying price was 145,600 dinars.  https://shafaq.com/en/Economy/Dollar-opens-lower-in-Baghdad-higher-in-Kurdistan-markets

USD/IQD Exchange Rates Surge In Baghdad, Erbil

2026-01-11 Shafaq News– Baghdad/ Erbil  The US dollar exchange rates edged higher against the Iraqi dinar on Sunday in Baghdad and Erbil as local currency exchanges closed.

According to a Shafaq News survey, Baghdad’s Al-Kifah and Al-Harithiya central exchanges registered a rate of 146,400 dinars per $100, up from 146,000 dinars per $100 earlier in the day.

In Baghdad’s local exchange shops, the selling rate climbed to 147,000 dinars per $100, while the buying rate stood at 146,000 dinars per $100.

In Erbil, the selling rate reached 146,100 dinars per $100 and the buying rate 146,000 dinars per $100.

https://shafaq.com/en/Economy/USD-IQD-exchange-rates-surge-in-Baghdad-Erbil-1-2

Iraq Ranks Third In The Arab World   In Foreign Currency Reserves With $112 Billion.

 InNovember 2025, Iraq's foreign currency reserves stood at approximately $112 billion, according to data from the Central Bank of Iraq. These reserves represent one of the highest levels in the region after Saudi Arabia and the UAE, covering more than 15 months of imports and providing Iraq with a significant safety net despite internal political and economic challenges.

Libya ranks fourth in the Arab world with large foreign currency reserves.

From the Gulf to the heart of Africa, despite political divisions, Libya maintains its fourth position in the Arab world with foreign currency reserves approaching $99 billion, covering about four years of imports.

Oil and gas exports define the features of economic power, as Arab countries' finances seize their windfall by increasing reserves and managing liquidity during periods of recession.

Qatar’s central bank’s foreign exchange reserves rose to $71.7 billion last November, covering 11 months of imports.

Egypt's substantial reserves exceeded $50.2 billion.

In Cairo, the most populous Arab country, foreign currency reserves stand at approximately $50.2 billion, a significant figure for supporting the Egyptian pound amidst import pressures and debt repayments. These reserves are now sufficient to cover more than six months of imports.

The figures at the Central Bank of Egypt improved during a year that witnessed an improvement in most indicators, and a rise in dollar revenues from exports, tourism and remittances from Egyptians abroad to more than $100 billion combined.

Reserves in Morocco and Algeria

Both Morocco and Algeria maintain similar levels of foreign exchange reserves, ranging between $39 billion and $41 billion. These figures are not just data in central bank reports, but rather indicators of the strength of countries and their ability to withstand fluctuations in oil prices, the challenges of inflation, and to ensure the stability of local currencies.

The World's Largest Foreign Exchange Reserves

Globally, China has the largest foreign exchange reserves, exceeding $3.2 trillion, followed by Japan, which exceeds $1 trillion.

Ultimately, whoever holds the reserves holds the initiative, and in a world full of fluctuations, these treasuries are the first line of defense for the stability of Arab economies.  https://economy-news.net/content.php?id=64092

Oil Fuels 90% Of Iraq’s $70B+ Revenue In 2025

2026-01-10   Shafaq News– Baghdad    Iraq generated more than 103 trillion Iraqi dinars ($71.4 billion) in federal budget revenue between January and October 2025, with oil accounting for about 90% of the total, Finance Ministry data showed on Saturday.

According to the data, oil revenue reached roughly $64.3 billion during the period, while non-oil income totaled about $7.1 billion.

Iraq continues to depend on oil to fund public spending. In earlier remarks to Shafaq News, government economic adviser Mudher Mohammed Saleh explained that decades of war, international sanctions, and political instability had undermined efforts to diversify the economy and expand non-oil revenue sources.

Read more: Iraq’s economy in 2025: Oil dominance and delayed reforms

https://shafaq.com/en/Economy/Oil-fuels-90-of-Iraq-s-70B-revenue-in-2025