Iraq Business News brings you the latest Iraq banking & finance news, with information on developments and opportunities.
By John Lee. An agreement has been reached to open a branch of JP Morgan in Iraq to finance projects implemented by American companies. The deal was agreed during a meeting in Washington between Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi and representatives of the bank. Earlier this month, we reported that KAR Electrical Power Plant Production Trading […]
By John Lee. Seven Iraqi banks have been cleared to re-enter non-dollar international correspondent banking channels, following high-level meetings between the governor of the Central Bank of Iraq (CBI) and officials at the US Treasury. The meetings followed Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi's official visit to the United States and his meeting with the US President. […]
By John Lee. Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has met International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva in Washington on Saturday to discuss Iraq's economic outlook and the prospects for cooperation between the two parties. According to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), talks covered economic and financial reform policies, efforts to achieve sustainable growth, […]
From Rudaw. Any opinions expressed are those of the author(s), and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Iraq's State Deficit Jumps 68% in First Quarter of 2026 Iraq recorded a budget deficit of nearly 11 trillion Iraqi dinars ($8.3 billion) in the first four months of the year, marking a 68 […]
By John Lee. Iraq's Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has met with World Bank Group President Ajay Banga in Washington. The delegation accompanying Banga included Makhtar Diop, President of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), and senior World Bank officials. According to the Prime Minister's Office, al-Zaidi highlighted the government's focus on banking sector reform and programme […]
By John Lee. The Central Bank of Iraq (CBI) has reportedly launched a lending initiative worth IQD 1.2 trillion (USD 916 million) to support education and veterinary medicine, and to strengthen liquidity in the banking sector. According to the state-run Iraqi News Agency (INA), the initiative is based on Central Bank Law No. 56 of […]
By Guest Blogger. Any opinions expressed are those of the author(s), and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Ali al-Zaidi in Washington: What His Trip Actually Means for the Dinar The forums have been buzzing. Iraq's prime minister is in Washington. He met Trump in the Oval Office. There were handshakes, […]
By John Lee. Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has met with representatives of the Iraqi Christian diaspora and Iraqi-American business figures from Michigan at the start of his visit to Washington DC. According to the Prime Minister's Office, discussions covered the situation of the Iraqi diaspora community and prospects for increasing their participation in investment and […]
By John Lee. The Central Bank of Iraq (CBI) has reportedly ruled that banks may disburse customers' dollar-denominated deposits in cash, effective 15 July 2026. According to the state-run Iraqi News Agency (INA), a CBI circular sets out the following provisions: Banks may continue to open foreign-currency accounts for customers, with customers entitled to withdraw […]
By John Lee. The Central Bank of Iraq (CBI) has announced enhancements to two of its developmental lending initiatives, raising the financing ceiling for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and expanding support for renewable energy projects. According to the CBI, the measures are aligned with the National Banking Lending Strategy (2024-2029) and are intended to […]
By John Lee. KAR Electrical Power Plant Production Trading FZE (KEPPT) has engaged JP Morgan to arrange development financing for a $1.6 billion urea plant in Basra. According to a statement from KEPPT, the company will work with the bank to progress financing for the project in conjunction with several leading export credit agencies. The […]
By Andrew Cunningham, for Arabian Gulf Business Insight (AGBI). Any opinions expressed here are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Iraq's central bank governor cannot fight crime on his own On June 19, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) placed Iraq on its grey list, subjecting […]
