Shafaq News- Baghdad
The United Arab Emirates has blocked the export of ahalf-ton gold shipment to Iraq, Iraqi importer Ali al-Aqili told Shafaq News onTuesday, despite all financial and customs procedures having been completed.
The claim has not yet been independently verified byofficial sources.
Al-Aqili explained that the Emirati authorities refused toallow the shipment to be exported following the resumption of flights betweenthe two countries, relating the issue to the political aspect rather than the commercial.“There is no trade dispute over gold,’ he affirmed, noting that authorities inthe UAE provided traders with documentation of the shipment’s weight along witha commitment to return it.
The gold importer also warned that the decision to block theshipment would negatively impact Iraqi traders.
Flights between Iraq and the UAE had been suspended duringFebruary and March due to the conflict between the US, Israel, and Iran,delaying gold shipments during that period.
On April 6, the Iraqi government designated the Trebilborder crossing with Jordan as an official route for gold imports, pending thelifting of airspace restrictions caused by regional military activity.
According to the Central Bank of Iraq, the country’s goldreserves exceeded 160 tons at the beginning of 2026. Data from the World Bankfor March 2026 showed Iraq ranked third among Arab countries with reserves of174.6 tons, accounting for 24.6 percent of its total foreign currency reserves,behind Saudi Arabia and Lebanon.