At a Glance

• Baghdad officially denies plans for an "Artificial Intelligence Ministry," clarifying no such cabinet expansion has been discussed.
• The government remains focused on filling nine vacant cabinet portfolios currently awaiting a parliamentary vote.

Iraqi Government Spokesperson Haider al-Aboudi stated that political parties and parliamentary blocs are currently engaged in negotiations to introduce new ministries and restructure existing ones within the Council of Representatives.

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Key Statements and Focus Area

• The Government Spokesperson confirmed that there has been absolutely no mention of establishing a ministry named the "Ministry of Artificial Intelligence." 
• Al-Aboudi noted that the Iraqi government's current priority is completing the ministerial cabinet, as nine ministries have yet to be voted on by the parliament.

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Speaking to Iraqi media, Government Spokesperson Haider al-Aboudi stated that several ministries are currently operating on an acting basis. 

Because these ministries are awaiting a parliamentary vote, their current heads lack full constitutional authority, he added. 

Al-Aboudi stressed that this administrative vacuum has created significant obstacles for the overall functionality of the cabinet. 

According to the Spokesperson, consequently, the delay continues to hinder the successful implementation of the core government program.

FYI

The government's official denial directly counters recent statements made by Iraqi lawmaker Ahmed al-Saadi of the National Wisdom Movement, who claimed that Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi planned to expand his cabinet by adding three new portfolios. 

According to al-Saadi, these new entities included a Ministry of Tourism allocated to the Montasirun Bloc, a Ministry of State for the Turkmen Front, and a highly anticipated Ministry of Artificial Intelligence designated for the Khidamat Bloc under Mohammed Sahib al-Daraji.

The new Iraqi government under Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi assumed office in mid-May 2026, but the cabinet remains incomplete after parliament initially approved only 14 out of 23 ministries. 

The 9 remaining portfolios, which include key positions like Interior, Defense, and Planning, are currently being run on a temporary, acting basis due to intense political deadlocks over candidate selections. 

To break the impasse, political factions are negotiating a "single package" vote in parliament to fill the vacant seats and grant full executive power to the entire cabinet.

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