Iraq Business News brings you the latest Iraq banking & finance news, with information on developments and opportunities.
By John Lee. Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani received Mr. Jamie Dimon, the CEO of JPMorgan Chase, and his accompanying delegation on Wednesday, during his visit to the Washington DC. During the meeting, they discussed the government's efforts in implementing financial and banking reforms, aiming to revitalize the economic situation and achieve development. They also […]
By Ahmed Tabaqchali, Chief Strategist of Asia Frontier Capital (AFC) Iraq Fund, for the London School of Economics (LSE) Middle East Centre. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. A fistful of Dinars: demystifying Iraq's dollar auction The Central Bank of Iraq's (CBI) […]
By John Lee. A delegation from Iraq, led by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Planning Mohammed Tameem, met with a delegation from the United States government, headed by Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, in the High-Level Coordination Committee (HCC) meeting yesterday, April 15th. The meeting was held in accordance with the 2008 Strategic […]
By John Lee. Following approval from the Central Bank of Iraq (CBI), the KRG has announced that the Bank of Baghdad will join its 'MyAccount' financial inclusion initiative. In a statement, the KRG said: "Bank of Baghdad's participation will help increase banking products and services and accelerate the emergence of consumer credit for the people […]
By John Lee. The Iraqi Cabinet approved the recommendations of the Sovereign Guarantees Committee regarding the Al-Khairat Power Station. The new facility is being built by Harlow International, which describes it as, "the largest thermal power plant project in Iraq ... which will provide more than 10% of Iraq's power demand when fully operational." According […]
By John Lee. The Central Bank of Iraq (CBI) has said it will issue a new series of bonds on behalf of the Ministry of Finance. The "Injaz/Enjaz" ["achievement"] bonds will be offered in two denominations: A 500,000 Iraqi Dinar (IQD) bond with an annual interest rate of 6.5 percent for a period of two […]
By John Lee. The Central Bank of Iraq (CBI) has announced a decrease in the ratio of non-performing loans to total credit. It said the ratio of non-performing loans to total cash credit decreased to 6.3 percent in 2023, compared to 7.2 percent in 2022, 8.8 percent in 2021, and 8.9 percent in 2020. Additionally, […]
By John Lee. Fitch Ratings has assigned Cihan Bank for Islamic Investment and Finance P.S.C (Cihan) a Long-Term Issuer Default Rating (IDR) of 'CCC+', and Viability Rating (VR) at 'ccc+'. It says the rating, "reflects the weak operating environment, the bank's weak franchise, volatile business model, high risk appetite, including a high share of financial […]
By John Lee. The Central Bank of Iraq (CBI) has announced that the cash credit ratio to total deposits in the Iraqi banking sector reached 52 percent in 2023, marking an increase from 47 percent in 2022; it was approximately 55 percent in 2021. Despite the rise, the Central Bank noted that the ratio did […]
By John Lee. The Iraqi Securities Commission (ISC) has announced the signing of a mutual cooperation agreement with the UK's Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment (CISI), marking the first Iraqi-British agreement in the financial market sector. This pact entails the exchange of information related to financial training programs and signifies a significant advancement in […]
By John Lee. The Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has held a meeting with a delegation from the banking sector, including Jordan Kuwait Bank and the Bank of Baghdad. According to a statement from the KRG, the meeting focused on potential collaborations and projects to enhance the banking infrastructure and spur economic […]
By John Lee. On Thursday, Iraq's Finance Committee, chaired by Atwan Al-Atwani, convened with its members and the Governor of the Central Bank of Iraq (CBI), Ali Al-Alaq, to discuss monetary policy, the banking system, and methods to increase the value of the Iraqi dinar. Al-Atwani stressed the importance of monitoring the economic file and […]
