Al-Zaydi directs the regularization of all contracts and temporary workers on permanent staff and the creation of 120,000 new job positions.

On Saturday, Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi directed that all contractors and daily wage workers be made permanent employees, and that 120,000 new job positions be created on a contractual basis.

The Prime Minister’s office stated in a statement received by Shafaq News Agency that Al-Zaidi chaired a meeting today to discuss the details of the federal budget for the year 2027, in the presence of Deputy Prime Minister Mohammed Ali Tamim and Finance Minister Falih Sari.

The statement added that Al-Zaydi directed during the meeting to make all contractors and workers permanent employees, in addition to creating (120) thousand new job positions on a contractual basis within the 2027 budget, which includes all segments, and are divided fairly among the governorates according to population ratios, with the opening of a special platform for appointment to ensure fairness among applicants.

According to the statement, Al-Zaydi indicated that the government will work to secure the necessary allocations to implement the decision, ensuring the continuation of the regularization procedures and the creation of new job grades in accordance with the approved regulations and contexts.

He explained that this comes within the framework of the government’s keenness to provide job opportunities for young people and enhance job and living stability, despite all the challenges and financial pressures facing the country.

Last month, Iraqi Finance Minister Faleh Sari announced that a provision to permanently employ contract workers would be included in the draft federal budget for 2027.

Shafaq.com

Oil revenues exceed $37 billion

Oil revenues exceed $37 billionThe Eco Iraq Observatory announced that the value of Iraqi crude oil exports reached approximately $37.39 billion, compared to the export of 533.46 million barrels, including 25 million barrels from the Kurdistan Region.

The observatory said in a press release that an official document issued by SOMO and addressed to parliament included data on oil exports and their financial amounts from January to September 2026.

He explained that “this document showed that the total exported quantities amounted to 533,459,327 barrels, with an estimated value of $37,388,384,828.

The observatory added that the amounts deposited in the account of the Central Bank of Iraq amounted to $33,511,194,387 for the same period.

He pointed out that “the quantities of oil pumped through the Turkish port of Ceyhan during the same period:

– North Oil: 50,757,644 barrels, with a daily average of about 188,000 barrels.

– Kurdistan Region oil: 25,095,454 barrels, with a daily average of about 93,000 barrels.

The observatory stressed “the importance of enhancing transparency in publishing data on oil exports and revenues, in order to ensure that the exported quantities match the financial revenues.”

Burathanews.com

Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi in a special interview on Al-Iraqiya News

The program (Special Meeting) will host Prime Minister Ali Faleh Al-Zaidi, in a dialogue that addresses the most prominent issues of the next stage, and to talk about restricting weapons to the state, the exchange rate and its repercussions on the market, the livelihood of citizens, the housing file, and the course of government reforms. The meeting will be tonight at nine o’clock on the Iraqi News Channel and will highlight the government’s priorities and the challenges of the stage, and its vision for addressing sovereign, economic and service files.

Burathanews.com

What will the budget look like if the price of a barrel of oil is calculated at more than $60?

Economic expert Dr. Safwan Qusay explained what could be achieved in the budget if the price of a barrel of oil were calculated at more than $60.

Qusay told Al-Maalouma, “The minimum price of a barrel of oil in the budget should not fall below $60. With exports exceeding 3 million barrels per day, this would be sufficient to cover public spending on items governed by permanent laws, such as salaries, welfare, pensions, and the food basket.”

He added, “The aforementioned price per barrel and export volume provide the necessary funds to finance the remaining operational expenses, amounting to approximately $5 billion in next year’s budget. There is also the possibility of financing the investment budget with the remaining amount.”

He clarified that “if oil prices rise to the $60 per barrel mark for Iraqi oil, the Central Bank’s reserves can be replenished to their previous levels, and domestic debts can be paid with this surplus. However, if prices and quantities fall below $60 per barrel, Iraq will continue to rely on domestic borrowing and in-kind spending to compensate for the liquidity shortage or to cover expenses governed by laws.”

Almaalomah.me

Rafidain Bank launches loans for employees and retirees up to 10 million dinars

An informed source revealed on Friday that Rafidain Bank has launched loans for employees and retirees in amounts of 5 million and 10 million dinars, with an annual interest rate of 6%, to be repaid over five years.

The source explained in an interview with Shafaq News Agency that applications for loans are available electronically through the “Super Key” application, as part of the move towards enhancing digital banking services and simplifying procedures for employees and retirees, enabling them to submit their applications without needing to visit bank branches.

He pointed out that this step comes within the efforts of Al-Rafidain Bank to develop its banking services and expand the scope of electronic services provided to citizens, which contributes to facilitating access to financial services and reducing bureaucratic procedures.

Shafaq.com

40 billion dinars will restore the Kirkuk railway line to the Iraqi railway network.

Ali Hamadi, the advisor to the governor of Kirkuk for investment and reconstruction affairs, revealed on Friday that the railway line linking the governorate with Salah al-Din needs about 40 billion Iraqi dinars to rehabilitate it so that it can be used to transport goods and oil derivatives. Dinarinvestment guides

Hamadi told Shafaq News Agency that “Kirkuk is one of the important oil-producing governorates on the production and export map, and that restoring the railway line between it and Salah al-Din will reconnect the governorate to the railway network throughout Iraq, which will contribute to reviving rail transport and enhancing its economic role.”

He added that “the Kirkuk Governorate administration has officially requested on several occasions that the project be referred and its implementation begin, and the Ministry of Construction and Housing has included the project in its plans and cost estimates, as it needs about 40 billion dinars to rehabilitate it, especially the Al-Fatha Bridge, which was damaged during the previous years of war.”

He explained that “the governorate administration has asked the coordination committee between the governorates and relevant authorities to include the project in the projects schedule, given its strategic importance in linking Kirkuk to the Iraqi governorates, reaching Basra via the railway network.”

Hamadi pointed out that “the rehabilitation of the line will allow it to be used for transporting goods, as well as the possibility of using it to transport oil and petroleum products, which would support economic activity and reduce pressure on land routes.”

For his part, Hussein Jalil, a former employee of the Kirkuk railway line, told Shafaq News Agency that the Kirkuk railway line represents an important part of the railway transport network map in Iraq, due to its economic and strategic importance in linking the governorate to the southern ports and the rest of the governorates. However, its suspension for many years and the absence of serious steps to restart it have deprived Kirkuk of benefiting from its great potential.

Jalil added that “there is a clear neglect in restoring life to this vital artery, despite the economic and service benefits it could bring to the province and Iraq in general, especially since Kirkuk is one of the important areas in oil production, and needs advanced and low-cost means of transport to and from it.”

He explained that the rehabilitation of the line will contribute to the development of commercial transport, especially the transport of goods and commodities coming from the ports of Basra to Kirkuk and the northern governorates, as well as the possibility of using it to transport crude oil, oil derivatives, raw materials and various commercial and industrial needs.

He pointed out that reactivating the line will alleviate pressure on land routes, reduce transportation costs and fuel consumption, and could open up new economic opportunities and provide a better environment for trade between governorates. He called on the relevant government agencies to expedite the inclusion of the project among reconstruction priorities and allocate the necessary funds for its implementation, in order to ensure the restoration of its role in supporting the national economy.

The Kirkuk-Salah al-Din line is one of the important routes that could enhance the province’s connection to the Iraqi railway network, but parts of it were damaged during the years of war, including the Fatha Bridge, which led to the cessation of traffic on it.

Before 2003, the railway line linking Kirkuk to Salah al-Din extended along the transport and trade routes towards Syria and Turkey, and contributed to the transport of goods and passengers, before traffic on it stopped as a result of disputes and political circumstances that prevented its continued operation, according to information circulating about the history of the line.

The history of railways in Kirkuk is linked to the 1940s, when rail transport was one of the important routes for the movement of goods and passengers. The governorate administration is currently seeking to include the rehabilitation project within the reconstruction plans and the development of transport infrastructure, which will allow it to regain its role in the future in the movement of trade and the transport of oil products between the Iraqi governorates.

Shafaq.com

Iran expresses its displeasure at the closure of the Al-Shaib border crossing with Iraq without prior notification.

Iran’s Interior Ministry on Wednesday expressed its displeasure with the decision to close the Shib border crossing with Iraq, stressing that Tehran had not received prior notification of the decision.

Ministry spokesman Zeini Vand said during a press conference that the closure of the Al-Shaib border crossing by Iraq was done without prior notification to the Iranian side, noting that the matter is being followed up and studied.

He added that temporarily closing border crossings for a period ranging from one hour to several hours for security reasons is a common practice, and in such cases, it is not necessary to inform the other party in advance.

He added that according to the joint agreement between Iran and Iraq regarding the management of border crossings, if it is decided to close any border crossing for a period exceeding one day, the other party must be notified of this decision in advance.

Zaini Vand explained that the closure of the Al-Shaib border crossing was not preceded by any official notification to the Iranian side, stressing that the relevant authorities in Iran are continuing to follow up on the matter and study its circumstances.

On Tuesday evening, an informed source in the Maysan Council told Shafaq News Agency that orders had been issued by the federal government to close the Al-Shaib border crossing with Iran starting at 6:00 AM on Wednesday, until further notice

Shafaq.com

Al-Zaidi will visit Lebanon and Syria next week.

An informed government source reported on Wednesday that Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi will pay an official visit to Lebanon and Syria next week.

The source told Shafaq News Agency that Al-Zaidi will head a government delegation to discuss a number of important and common issues.

He added that Lebanon would be the first stop on the visit, before al-Zaidi heads to Syria, from where he will return to the capital, Baghdad.

Al-Zaidi had visited the Saudi capital, Riyadh, last Wednesday, as part of an official visit within a Gulf tour that also includes Kuwait.

The tour came after a planned visit to Riyadh last July was cancelled due to rapidly evolving security developments in the region, including an American bombing that targeted Popular Mobilization Forces headquarters in Iraq, with Saudi participation, according to the original text.

Iraqi-Gulf relations have been marked by anticipation and caution since the launch of regional military operations in February 2016, amid repeated accusations from countries in the region that armed factions are exploiting Iraqi territory to launch drone attacks targeting regional economic interests.

Shafaq.com

Iraq’s foreign reserves rise to $81.5 billion in August

Data from the Central Bank of Iraq on Wednesday showed that foreign reserves rose to $81.538 billion, equivalent to 105.999 trillion dinars, at the end of August 2026, compared to $80.633 billion, or 104.823 trillion dinars, at the end of July. Dinarexchange rate

According to data seen by Shafaq News Agency, foreign reserves increased during August by about $905 million, equivalent to 1.176 trillion dinars.

However, reserves remained below their level at the end of 2025, when they reached $97.432 billion, equivalent to 126.661 trillion dinars, and thus recorded a decline during the first eight months of this year of about $15.894 billion, or equivalent to 20.662 trillion dinars.

Reserves stood at $101.082 billion at the end of January 2026, before declining to $100.341 billion in March, $97.809 billion in April, $93.673 billion in May, then to $86.175 billion in June, reaching $80.633 billion in July, before rising again in August.

Regarding the components of the reserves, the value of gold rose to 32.655 trillion dinars at the end of August, compared to 29.665 trillion dinars at the end of July, while investments declined to 72.926 trillion dinars, compared to 75.034 trillion dinars in the previous month.

Shafaq.com

A gap of 30 trillion dinars… The Ministry of Finance reveals Iraq’s revenues and expenditures up to August

Data from the Ministry of Finance regarding the implementation of the federal budget up to the end of August 2026 showed that Iraq’s total revenues amounted to about 45.355 trillion dinars, while oil revenues constituted about 77% of the state’s total resources.

According to data seen by Shafaq News Agency, oil revenues amounted to about 34.726 trillion dinars, compared to non-oil revenues of about 10.629 trillion dinars, equivalent to about 23% of total revenues.

In contrast, total expenditures amounted to approximately 75.787 trillion dinars, which means recording a gap (deficit) between revenues and expenditures of approximately 30.432 trillion dinars during the first eight months of this year.

Employee compensation topped the list of current expenditure items with a value of approximately 40.994 trillion dinars, followed by social welfare expenditures with approximately 18.443 trillion dinars, and then grants, subsidies, interest and other expenses with approximately 6.011 trillion dinars.

Expenditure on goods supplies amounted to approximately 2.454 trillion dinars, and on services supplies to approximately 156 billion dinars, while expenditure on asset maintenance amounted to approximately 48.5 billion dinars.

On the debt service side, the data showed that total spending on debt amounted to about 7.561 trillion dinars until the end of August, while capital expenditures amounted to about 30.1 billion dinars, according to the economic classification of expenditures.

Thus, the budget implementation data reveals the continued widening of the gap between state revenues and expenditures, coinciding with the continued dependence of public finances on oil revenues, which constituted about three-quarters of total resources.

Shafaq.com