Iraq
Gold bracelets and necklaces on display for sale in a gold shop in the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul. Photo: AFP
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq’s state-run standards and quality assurance control agency said on Sunday that approximately four tons of gold were imported into the country in the first four months of 2026.
“Gold is exclusively imported through airports,” Fayadh al-Dulaimi, head of the Iraqi Central Organization for Standardization and Quality Control (COSQC), told Rudaw, estimating that “around 95 percent of shipments came from the United Arab Emirates [UAE], while the remaining five percent were imported from Turkey.”
Dulaimi noted that inspection units at airports operate around the clock to expedite testing and sealing procedures and prevent delays for incoming gold shipments.
He added however that the four-ton figure does not include the Kurdistan Region, since “it is not covered by their procedures and that federal inspectors are not present at its airports to examine and hallmark imported gold.
In February, Iraq’s Civil Aviation Authority (ICAA) instructed airlines not to transport gold, mobile phones, and information technology equipment through Erbil and Sulaimani airports, citing the absence of federal quality control inspectors at both facilities.
In addition to Erbil and Sulaimani airports, Iraq operates civilian airbases in Baghdad, Basra, Mosul, Najaf, and Kirkuk. In December 2024, the government also opened a gold inspection center in Kirkuk.
“Gold is exclusively imported through airports,” Fayadh al-Dulaimi, head of the Iraqi Central Organization for Standardization and Quality Control (COSQC), told Rudaw, estimating that “around 95 percent of shipments came from the United Arab Emirates [UAE], while the remaining five percent were imported from Turkey.”
Dulaimi noted that inspection units at airports operate around the clock to expedite testing and sealing procedures and prevent delays for incoming gold shipments.
He added however that the four-ton figure does not include the Kurdistan Region, since “it is not covered by their procedures and that federal inspectors are not present at its airports to examine and hallmark imported gold.
In February, Iraq’s Civil Aviation Authority (ICAA) instructed airlines not to transport gold, mobile phones, and information technology equipment through Erbil and Sulaimani airports, citing the absence of federal quality control inspectors at both facilities.
In addition to Erbil and Sulaimani airports, Iraq operates civilian airbases in Baghdad, Basra, Mosul, Najaf, and Kirkuk. In December 2024, the government also opened a gold inspection center in Kirkuk.
Comments
Rudaw moderates all comments submitted on our website. We welcome comments which are relevant to the article and encourage further discussion about the issues that matter to you. We also welcome constructive criticism about Rudaw.
To be approved for publication, however, your comments must meet our community guidelines.
We will not tolerate the following: profanity, threats, personal attacks, vulgarity, abuse (such as sexism, racism, homophobia or xenophobia), or commercial or personal promotion.
Comments that do not meet our guidelines will be rejected. Comments are not edited – they are either approved or rejected.
Post a comment