A senior United Nations official has issued a warning to Iraq about the risks of continuing to depend heavily on oil revenues to pay government salaries.

"Reliance on oil undermines sustainable development"
Abdullah Dardari, Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations, stated that Iraq’s partial dependence on oil income to cover salaries for eight million public sector employees “is a direct path that undermines sustainable development.”

 Call for Economic Diversification
The UN official urged Iraq to invest in agriculture, renewable energy, and technology, describing these sectors as “fundamental pillars for economic diversification.”

Oil Revenues Nearly Equal Salary Expenses

• Iraq’s monthly salary expenses for civil servants, retirees, and social welfare recipients total approximately 8 trillion Iraqi dinars.
• According to data from the Ministry of Finance, oil revenues in the first half of this year reached 45.283 trillion dinars.
• During the same period, salary expenditures amounted to 44.946 trillion dinars, meaning nearly all oil income was spent on salaries.