By Martin Chulov and Nechirvan Mando, for The Guardian. Any opinions expressed here are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Treasure hunters circle in search of Islamic State's lost loot The ruins of Iraq and Syria are proving a treasure trove, with former foes vying to […]
By John Lee. The Central Bank of Iraq (CBI) reportedly expects cash reserves to reach $90 billion by the end of this year, up from about $80 billion currently. CBI Deputy Governor, Ammar Khalaf, told the Iraqi News Agency (INA) that the increase is a result of higher oil prices. He added that gold reserves […]
From Al Jazeera. Any opinions expressed are those of the author(s), and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Iraq's smelters: Workers risk their health for gold and silver Decades of instability and corruption in Iraq have led to high unemployment. That is forcing some people to resort to dangerous work to […]
From Al Jazeera. Any opinions expressed are those of the author(s), and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Gold has become one of Iraq's top exports despite there being no gold deposits. So what is the secret? Al Jazeera's Osama Bin Javaid reports from Baghdad:
From Rudaw. Any opinions expressed are those of the author(s), and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Baghdad ruling deals blow to Kurdistan Region's gold trade The Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority's decision to ban the import and export of gold to and from the Kurdistan Region last month has triggered anger […]
By John Lee. The Kurdistan Region of Iraq has imported 26 tons of gold in the first six months of the year, a reduction on the same period last year. According to a report from Shafaaq News, 16.7 tons were imported through Sulaymaniyah International Airport, 8.2 tons through Erbil International Airport, and 1 ton through […]
By John Lee. A report released this morning by the World Gold Council says that Iraq's Central Bank bought 48 tonnes of gold during 2014, trebling the size of its gold reserves over the year. Fortification and diversification of reserves, namely away from the US dollar, continues to be the driving force behind this activity, […]
By John Lee. Three gunmen wearing military uniforms have stolen more than 250 pounds of gold from a jeweler in Baghdad. A senior police official told NBC News that the men, traveling in a Land Cruiser with no licence plate and tinted windows, stopped a car belonging to the jeweler near the International Zone and […]
By John Lee. The Central Bank of Iraq has purchased 36 tonnes of gold valued at $1.6bn to help stabilise the Dinar against foreign currencies, Bloomberg reports. Iraq is now the 43rd largest holder of gold reserves globally, having already held 29.8 tonnes as of August last year, but the latest purchase is one of the biggest by […]
By John Lee. Reuters reports that Iraq cut its gold holdings by a quarter in November. Data from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) showed that the country's stocks fell to 29.9 tonnes. (Source: Reuters)
By John Lee. Iraq made its first major move in years to boost its gold reserves, joining central banks from emerging market economies such as Brazil and Russia in diversifying its foreign reserves. According to a report from the Lebanese Daily Star, central bank purchases have been one of the biggest drivers of gold's rally […]
By John Lee. AKnews reports that gold imports into Iraqi Kurdistan have hit 34 tons during the first seven months of the year. The increase in imports coincides with a surge in jewel and gold stores in the region’s three main cities. Of the total, 12,376 kilograms were imported through Erbil International Airport, with 22,384 […]
