IRAQ NEWS HEADLINES
Former Iraqi Foreign Minister and senior KDP politburo member Hoshyar Zebari described the 34th Arab League Summit in Baghdad as being held with mixed feelings.
While praising the Iraqi government’s “exceptional” efforts, he noted that the political stance of armed factions and certain Iraqi politicians “hostile” to the Arab world deprived the summit of a strong Arab presence in Baghdad —
a matter he said requires serious review and further discussion.
SANDY INGRAM: BREAKING NEWS: The IQD depreciated; Iraq to host Arab Summit 2025 Iraqi stock market
The video begins by highlighting Iraq’s significant role as the host of the Arab Summit 2025, marking the country’s first opportunity in over a decade to bring together Arab leaders. This event symbolizes Iraq’s ongoing recovery from decades of conflict, political instability, and diplomatic isolation.
Iraqi leaders are not just aiming to organize the summit but also to leverage it to rebuild regional partnerships and create a unified front on key Arab world issues. Historically, Iraq’s relations with some Arab countries have been strained since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, largely due to sectarian shifts and the rise of Iranian influence. The summit offers a chance to mend these ties and reposition Iraq diplomatically in the Middle East.
Following this diplomatic overview, the video transitions into a financial report focusing on the Iraq stock market. The recent weekly trading activity showed moderate fluctuations, with a total share turnover of approximately 1.3 billion Iraqi dinars—a slight decrease from the previous week.
Among the 63 companies traded, a near balance was observed with 18 stocks increasing, 17 declining, and the remainder stable. Banking and telecommunications sectors dominated trading activity, with banks typically exerting significant influence over the market index.
Asia Cell, a major telecom company, experienced strong trading volumes and steady pricing, standing out as a positive performer for the week. Conversely, some smaller banks saw declines, highlighting investor preference for stability amid ongoing uncertainty. Foreign investors continue to participate actively, submitting more buy orders than sell orders—indicating cautious optimism about Iraq’s market.
Overall, the video underscores that while Iraq’s stock market remains volatile and affected by both political factors and the global oil environment, it shows signs of gradual improvement. The fundamentals suggest that Iraq could be an attractive market for investors seeking long-term growth, particularly in emerging markets. Viewers are advised to conduct thorough research before investing but are encouraged to watch Iraq’s evolving economic landscape closely.
🌟 Strategic Diplomatic Reemergence: Hosting the Arab Summit after a decade is a milestone that reflects Iraq’s desire to reclaim its leadership and influence in the Arab world. This move indicates an intentional pivot from past isolation toward proactive regional integration and diplomacy. The summit is more than ceremonial—it is an opportunity for Iraq to reshape its geopolitical image and rebuild partnerships that were disrupted after the 2003 invasion. Strengthening ties in the Arab world could help Iraq balance external influences, such as Iran’s growing involvement.
💼 Economic Recovery Parallels Political Tranquility: Iraq’s progress in hosting the summit parallels its attempts to stabilize economically, as seen in the modest gains and activity in its stock market. Political stability and diplomacy usually go hand in hand with economic opportunity. Iraq’s focus on creating a unified Arab voice may also bolster confidence among investors, potentially reducing the market’s sensitivity to political risks.
📉 Market Volatility Reflects Underlying Risks: The slight dip in market turnover and the near-equal split between rising and falling stocks indicate that Iraq’s stock market remains highly sensitive to political developments and global commodities prices, especially oil. The inherent volatility suggests that while there is opportunity, caution remains paramount for investors.
🏦 Banking Sector Dominance & Investor Preference for Stability:Banks account for the majority of trading volume, indicating their critical role in Iraq’s financial sector. However, the decline in some smaller banks’ stocks reveals a trend where investors prefer established, more stable financial institutions over riskier plays. This insight reflects a maturing investor base prioritizing risk management amid ongoing uncertainty.
📡 Telecommunications as Growth Drivers: Asia Cell’s positive performance underscores the potential of non-oil sectors like telecommunications. This sector could become a valuable growth pillar as Iraq diversifies its economy beyond hydrocarbons. Strong trading volumes and stable pricing in telecom highlight investor confidence in these companies’ resilience and growth prospects.
🌍 Foreign Investor Confidence as a Positive Signal: Despite the challenges, foreign investors are net buyers, offering a vote of confidence in Iraq’s market. Their involvement is critical not only for liquidity but also for introducing international best practices and reinforcing market legitimacy. This cautious optimism suggests external observers recognize Iraq’s improving fundamentals and hidden potential.
📊 Long-term Potential Amid Short-term Risks: The video emphasizes that Iraq’s stock market should be viewed with a long-term perspective. Political instability and oil price dependence will continue to influence it, but improving fundamentals combined with diplomatic advancements such as hosting the Arab Summit present a foundational base for potential growth. For investors, Iraq represents a high-risk, high-reward emerging market opportunity requiring diligent research and risk awareness.
Overall, the video provides a comprehensive view of Iraq’s current geopolitical and economic state, illustrating the interconnectedness of diplomacy and markets. Iraq’s incremental progress in both spheres signals a cautious but promising trajectory for the country’s future on the regional and investment stage.
Pimpy
If they're going to delete the zeros off their currency, which is the bank notes...that's a redenomination.
So a 25,000 dinar now becomes a 25 dinar and it will look different than the bank notes that are currently out there.
That's what a redenomination is.
Al-Sudani's advisor reveals Iraq's debts and their global classification.
The financial advisor to the Iraqi Prime Minister, Mazhar Mohammed Salih, revealed on Friday that the ratio of external and domestic public debt does not exceed 33% of the gross domestic product, an indicator that places Iraq within a comfortable and low-risk global credit rating.
“Iraq legally and customarily extinguished, in the Paris Club agreement of 2004, about $100 billion of the external debt accumulated by the former regime due to conflicts and wars. It was called pre-1990 debt and had a claims ceiling of about $38.9 billion.
The remainder was rescheduled for about 20 years after the immediate cancellation of $100 billion, noting that many countries had cancelled 100% or close to that at the time of signing the agreement, which reduced the remaining reschedulable debt,” Saleh said in a press statement followed by Al-Mada.
He added, "It is also assumed that the Paris Club debts (both sovereign and foreign sector) will be fully extinguished in 2028, with the final foreign private sector debt remaining after the latter's rescheduling into European bonds called 'Iraq 2028'. The debt is valued at approximately $2.7 billion and is currently traded in global secondary capital markets."
He continued, "We also borrowed approximately $12 billion to finance the budget during the war on ISIS, most of which was repaid, specifically with the International Monetary Fund."
Regarding foreign debt, Saleh points out that "the foreign debts due over the next four years are approximately $9 billion, and there are foreign debts of a similar amount extending over longer years, related to long-term loans from international funds, mostly for the reconstruction of liberated areas."
Accordingly, "the ratio of external debt to GDP is within a very safe range, not exceeding 8% of GDP, which has placed Iraq within a comfortable and low-risk global credit rating," according to Saleh.
The government advisor explained that "the general budget annually allocates appropriate allocations for debt repayment and servicing as a top priority, which has strengthened Iraq's creditworthiness."
As for the domestic public debt, according to Saleh, it "amounts to 85 trillion dinars, half of which is invested in the Central Bank of Iraq's investment portfolio, and the remainder is held mostly by government banks and the public in the form of bonds and transfers. It has accumulated due to the three oil asset cycles."
He reveals that "domestic public debt constitutes 25% of GDP. If the value of the remaining external public debt is added to the domestic public debt, their combined ratio to GDP does not exceed 33%, indicating that our country is within the safe classification criteria for acceptable debt, which amounts to 60% of GDP."
He notes, "But without forgetting that there are approximately $40 billion that have not been settled practically since the Paris Club agreement in 2004, which (should be written off by 80% or more) under the agreement, if that debt is true, and which belong to eight countries related to financing the Iran-Iraq war. These are odious debts, as they are called in economic literature, and they are pending without settlement."
The government advisor concluded his remarks by saying, "There is careful planning between fiscal and monetary policies to extinguish the domestic debt held by the (government banking system) within a genuine financial settlement that provides public finances with ample scope for financial sustainability link
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