UAE1

General Information

National Identity

Official Language(s)Arabic, Kurdish

National CurrencyIraqi dinar (IQD)

National Day(s)3 October

Capitals

Political / Administrative CapitalBaghdad

Economic CapitalBasra

Cultural CapitalNajaf

Transport & Connectivity

Flight Duration from the UAE≈ 2.5 – 3 h Direct flights

Primary AirportBaghdad International Airport (BGW)

Primary PortPort of Umm Qasr

Geography

Land Area-

Length of the Coastline58 km

Highest PointCheekha Dar (3,611 m)

Primary Inland Water Body / RiverTigris and Euphrates Rivers

ClimateMostly arid; hot, dry summers and cool winters

Border Countries

IranJordanKuwaitSaudi ArabiaSyriaTürkiye

6

Last Updated: October 2026Source: Internal Research

Key Facts

Some of the earliest known examples of cuneiform writing were discovered at Uruk in Iraq and date to around 3300 BC.

Baghdad was founded by the Abbasid Caliph Al-Mansur in 762 and rapidly developed into a major international city.

Babylon was the capital of the Neo-Babylonian Empire from 626 to 539 BC and was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2019.

Samarra served as the capital of the Abbasid Caliphate from 836 to 892 and preserves its famous 9th-century spiral minaret.

The Ahwar of Southern Iraq consists of four marsh areas and three ancient archaeological sites, including Ur, Uruk and Eridu.

Erbil Citadel stands on an archaeological mound containing more than 30 metres of deposits from successive periods of human settlement.

Iraqi Maqam, a major tradition of Iraqi classical music, was inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2008.

The traditional craft skills and arts of building Al-Mudhif reed guesthouses were inscribed by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage in 2023.

Iraq holds about 145 billion barrels of proved crude oil reserves, the fifth-largest proved crude oil reserves in the world.

Oil remains central to Iraq’s economy, accounting for the majority of government revenues and merchandise exports.

Iraq’s current Constitution was approved in a nationwide referendum held on 15 October 2005.

Iraq won its first AFC Asian Cup football title in 2007 after defeating Saudi Arabia 1-0 in the final.

Last Updated: October 2026Source: Internal Research

Economic Overview

Macroeconomic Snapshot

GDP, current prices-USD Billions

Real GDP growth-Annual percent change (%)

GDP per capita, current prices-USD per capita

Population-Millions of people

General government gross debt-% of GDP

Income levelWorld Bank classification-

Economic Comparison

Indicator	Iraq	UAE
GDP, current pricesUSD Billions	-	-
GDP, PPPCurrent int$	-	-
Real GDP growthAnnual percent change (%)	-	-
GDP per capita, current pricesUSD per capita	-	-
PopulationMillions of people	-	-
Unemployment rate% of total labor force	-	-
Inflation rate (avg. consumer prices)Annual percent change (%)	-	-
General government gross debt% of GDP	-	-
Income levelWorld Bank classification	-	-

Foreign Trade

No data available for this section yet.

Political Overview

Leadership

Head of State

H.E. Nizar Mohammed Amidi

Since April 2026

Head of Government

H.E. Ali Falih Al Zaidi

Since May 2026

Minister of Foreign Affairs

H.E. Fuad Mohammed Hussein

Since June 2020

Minister of Finance

H.E. Faleh Al Sari

Since May 2026

Minister of Trade

H.E. Dr. Mustafa Nizar Al Ani

Since May 2026

Political Summary

Political System

Federal Parliamentary Republic.

The President is elected by Parliament and serves as Head of State, while the Prime Minister heads the government and exercises executive authority.

Ruling Party

Coordination Framework: Shia political coalition (since 2026)

Main Opposition Force(s)

No formal parliamentary opposition

Next Presidential Election

Expected in 2030

Next Legislative Election

2029

Last Updated: October 2026Source: Internal Research

Membership in Key Organizations and Blocs

43Organizations

26Member

2Founding Member

4Partner, Observer or Participant

11Not a Member

Last Updated: October 2026Source: Official websites of the respective organizations

Competitiveness Indexes

Index	Year	Rank Out of	Iraq	UAE

No index matches.

Diplomatic Relations and Representation

Date of Establishment of Diplomatic Relations197155 years of relations

UAE Ambassador

H.E. Abdullah Matar Khamis Al MazroueiUAE Ambassador to Iraq · Resident

Foreign Ambassador

H.E. Dr. Mudhafar Mustafa Al JubouriAmbassador of Iraq to the UAE · Resident

Last Updated: October 2026Source: MoFA; Internal Research

Flights by UAE Carriers

Passenger Flights

October 2026 figures

41Total Weekly Passenger Flights

EYEtihad Airways0

EKEmirates0

FZflydubai22

G9Air Arabia19

Cargo Flights

October 2026 figures

0Total Weekly Cargo Flights

EYEtihad Cargo0

EKEmirates SkyCargo0

Last Updated: October 2026Source: GCAA

Consular Information

	Tourists	Residents	Students	Golden Visa Holders
Iraq Nationalsin the UAE	-	-	-	-
UAE Citizensin Iraq	-	-	-	-

Main Agreements and MoUs

Agreement / MOU	Status	Notes
CEPAComprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement	Not Signed	-
IPPAInvestment Protection and Promotion Agreement	Ratified	Signed on 18 Oct 2021.Entered into force on 7 Apr 2025.
DTADouble Taxation Avoidance Agreement	Ratified	Signed on 3 Oct 2017.Entered into force on 14 Mar 2018.
ASAAir Services Agreement	Signed	An MoU on air transport cooperation was signed on 31 Mar 2009.A draft air services agreement was initialled on 19 Mar 2019 to update the existing 1989 agreement.
FTAFree Trade Agreement	Signed	Signed on 2 Nov 2001.

Ratified— Signed and entered into force

Signed— Signed, but entry into force or ratification is pending

Not Signed— No signed agreement exists

Last Updated: October 2026Source: Internal Research

UAE Foreign Assistance

UAE Aid to Iraq	Total Amount
Amount (USD Mn)	-

Bilateral Visits

Official Visits from the UAE

H.E. Saeed Bin Mubarak Al HajeriMinister of State and Minister of Foreign Affairs’ Envoy for Economic Affairs
Sep2025
H.E. Khalifa bin Shaheen Al MararMinister of State
Sep2023
H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al MaktoumVice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai
Aug2021

Official Visits to the UAE

H.E. Masrour BarzaniPrime Minister of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq
Sep2026
H.E. Nechirvan BarzaniPresident of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq
Apr2026
H.E. Masrour BarzaniPrime Minister of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq
Feb2026
H.E. Mohammed Shia Al SudaniPrime Minister of Iraq
Oct2025
H.E. Fuad Mohammed HusseinDeputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iraq
Apr2025
H.E. Dr. Abdul Latif Jamal RashidPresident of Iraq
Feb2025
H.E. Masrour BarzaniPrime Minister of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq
Feb2025
H.E. Masrour BarzaniPrime Minister of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq
Feb2024
H.E. Masrour BarzaniPrime Minister of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq
Aug2023
H.E. Mohammed Shia Al SudaniPrime Minister of Iraq
Feb2023
H.E. Fuad Mohammed HusseinDeputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iraq
Nov2022
H.E. Dr. Barham SalihPresident of Iraq
May2022
H.E. Mustafa Al KadhimiPrime Minister of Iraq
May2022
H.E. Nechirvan BarzaniPresident of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq
May2022
H.E. Masrour BarzaniPrime Minister of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq
May2022
H.E. Masrour BarzaniPrime Minister of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq
Mar2022
H.E. Mustafa Al KadhimiPrime Minister of Iraq
Jan2022