Officials: Iraq’s growth hinges on security, not isolation

Shafaq News – Baghdad

Iraq has the potential to become a global center for investment, officials said on Wednesday, warning that growth cannot "happen in isolation."

Speaking at a workshop on security and investment in Baghdad, National Investment Commission Chief Haider Makkiya explained that investors place security at the top of their concerns, calling it “a condition for the existence and continuity of investment, not just a supporting factor.”

Makkiya stressed that successful investment requires collective backing from the entire state and a strategic partnership between economic and security institutions.

Saad Maan, Head of the Joint Operations Command’s Media Cell, further emphasized that “security and investment are two sides of the same coin.”

"Security forces are working to provide the environment investors need, but greater integration among government agencies is vital to compete regionally and internationally for capital," he added.

Iraq’s improving security and economic policy shifts are making it an increasingly attractive investment destination, according to experts. The near end of large-scale terrorist attacks, relative political stability, and steady monetary policy over the past two years have laid the groundwork for renewed foreign capital inflows.