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ABCI Iraq 2035

Investment & Capital

Building a deeper capital ecosystem that connects viable opportunities with the appropriate form of finance.

Research version 1.1Updated: 30 September 2026

ABCI analytical perspective. Milestones and structural directions below are research propositions, not official forecasts or commitments.

Why It Matters

Different opportunities need different types of capital. Productive investment depends on matching project risk, development stage and cash flows with suitable financing, governance and execution capabilities.

Where Iraq Stands

In February 2026, Iraq’s National Investment Commission reported $104B in total investment volume, comprising $67B foreign and $37B domestic components. This reported figure is not FDI inflow or capital deployed, and it does not establish how much investment has reached operation.

The Structural Gap

Announcements, licensed projects, financing commitments and operating assets are distinct measures. The research framework needs clearer evidence of these stages, alongside reliable annual venture-capital and private-equity activity data.

What Needs to Change

Assess project preparation, commercial due diligence, disclosure, contractual clarity and monitoring. Financing models should be tested against realistic demand and cash flows, with regulated activities addressed by appropriately qualified institutions and professionals.

2030 Milestone

By 2030, track the conversion from reported opportunity to financed project and operating business. Progress should be evidenced by execution, financing diversity and transparent performance reporting rather than a single aggregate announcement.

Proposed measurement protocol

Measure and definition
Conversion from announced opportunity to financing commitment, capital disbursement, operating launch and jobs, with each stage counted separately.
Collection and comparison
Maintain a project register with unique IDs, dates, amounts and documentary evidence at each stage. State whether totals are annual or cumulative.
Current limits
No such linked register is published here. NIC reported volumes are not FDI inflows, capital deployed or conversion rates; the linked statement does not establish all cumulative-period definitions.

2035 Direction

The 2035 direction is a deeper capital ecosystem able to finance viable businesses at different stages. No numeric target for venture capital or private equity is asserted without a reliable baseline.

Key Indicators

Institutional baseline

Total Investment Volume Reported by Iraq’s National Investment Commission — February 2026

$104B

02 / 2026

Reported total; not FDI inflow or capital deployed.

Definition, dates & source context
Measurement period
02 / 2026
Publication date
Not identified in the linked source
Independent check
Not reverified in this revision
Source edition
Linked publication / page; edition number not stated
Source: National Investment Commission ↗
Institutional baseline

Foreign component of NIC reported total

$67B

02 / 2026

Part of the $104B reported figure, not FDI inflow.

Definition, dates & source context
Measurement period
02 / 2026
Publication date
Not identified in the linked source
Independent check
Not reverified in this revision
Source edition
Linked publication / page; edition number not stated
Source: National Investment Commission ↗
Institutional baseline

Domestic component of NIC reported total

$37B

02 / 2026

Part of the $104B reported figure.

Definition, dates & source context
Measurement period
02 / 2026
Publication date
Not identified in the linked source
Independent check
Not reverified in this revision
Source edition
Linked publication / page; edition number not stated
Source: National Investment Commission ↗

SOURCE REGISTER

Sources

The register identifies each linked publication or data series. Indicator cards retain measurement periods and definitions. An absent publication or check date is shown explicitly; the edition date is not a substitute.

  1. National Investment Commission

    Linked publication / page; edition number not stated

    Published: date not established

    Independent check: not reverified in this revision

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ABCI · BAGHDAD, IRAQ

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