By John Lee. Recent media reports have flagged up the growing gap between the official dinar exchange rate and its value in the informal market - see here and here. In his latest monthly investment report for Iraq Business News, Ahmed Tabaqchali attributes the fall in the dinar to the behaviour of certain importers following […]
By Ahmed Tabaqchali, Chief Strategist of AFC Iraq Fund. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. "Equity Market Discounts Regional Tensions" The market, as measured by the Rabee Securities U.S. Dollar Equity Index (RSISX USD Index), was down 0.9% for the month, on […]
By John Lee. The US State Department last month approved a possible Foreign Military Sale to Iraq of of Very Small Aperture Terminals (VSATs) and related equipment. The estimated total cost is $110 million, and the principal contractor will be Network Innovations, of Frederick, Maryland. Full statement from US State Department: WASHINGTON, January 14, 2026 […]
By John Lee. A hematite [haematite, Fe2O3] production project with an annual capacity of approximately 400,000 tonnes has reportedly been inaugurated in Maysan Governorate. According to the state-run Iraqi News Agency (INA), the project was launched by the Military Industrialization Authority, with Ali Mohsen Khudair, Director General of the General Company for Military Industries, saying […]
By John Lee. Al-Furat General Company, a subsidiary of the Ministry of Industry and Minerals, has completed construction of a new environmentally friendly sulphuric [sulfuric] acid production plant using advanced technology and Iraqi expertise. The company's Director General, Ali Qasim Al-Shammari, said the old sulphuric acid plant had been dismantled and replaced with a modern […]
By John Lee. State-run Iraqi News Agency (INA) reports that plans have been announced to develop clean energy power plants in Baghdad, Basra and Nineveh. It quotes the regional director of Shanghai (sic) as saying that the already-announced Nahrawan project in Baghdad will convert 5,000 tonnes of waste per day into 110MW of electricity, with […]
By John Lee. The Ministry of Planning has held a technical meeting to review mechanisms for selecting and evaluating projects and to enhance the efficiency of public investment management. The meeting was chaired by the Undersecretary for Technical Affairs, Dr Maher Hammad Johan, and focused on supporting project selection and evaluation activities in cooperation with […]
By John Lee. The US State Department has approved a possible Foreign Military Sale to Iraq of Contracted Logistical Services for VACIS XPL passenger vehicle scanning systems and related equipment. The estimated total cost is $90 million, and the principal contractor will be Leidos, of Reston, Virginia. Full statement from US State Department: The State […]
From Shafaq. Any opinions expressed are those of the author(s), and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Liquidity shortfall freezes lending at Iraq's state banks Government lending programs remained suspended on Thursday as Iraq's state-owned banks, most notably Rafidain Bank and Rasheed Bank, continued to halt advances and loans due to […]
Advertising Feature Rabee Securities Iraq Stock Exchange (ISX) market report (trading week ending: 5th February 2026. Please click here to view a table of listed companies and their associated ticker codes. Rabee Securities' Market Indexes Change - Weekly Index Code Closings Change (w/w) (%) Change (YTD) (%) IQD-RSISX 2,528.7 -0.2% -1.1% USD-RSISX 2,486.4 -0.2% -1.1% […]
By John Lee. Iraq's General Customs Authority has reported its highest-ever monthly customs revenues, exceeding IQD 137 billion (USD 105 million) in January 2026, reflecting the impact of recent regulatory and administrative reforms. The Authority said the increase followed the full implementation of Decision No. 957 across all customs centres, improving revenue collection efficiency and […]
By John Lee. Discussions were held on supporting monetary and economic stability and strengthening strategic cooperation between Iraq and the United States. The Governor of the Central Bank of Iraq (CBI), Ali Mohsen Ismail Al-Alaq, met the Chargé d'Affaires of the United States Embassy in Iraq, Joshua Harris, on Thursday, to review prospects for enhancing […]
