Practice Area
Banking & Finance
Etihad Law Firm has been advising banks, financial institutions, borrowers, investors and regulators on banking and finance law in Iraq for over a decade.
Overview
A financial sector at an inflection point
Iraq's financial sector is at an inflection point. A banking system long dominated by state-owned institutions is opening to private capital. Digital banking is emerging. Regulatory frameworks are being modernised. And international investors, from regional banks to global private equity funds, are looking at Iraq with renewed seriousness. In this environment, the quality of your banking and finance legal counsel is not a secondary consideration. It is a competitive advantage.
We have structured lending transactions, advised on regulatory licensing, guided digital banking entrants through a rapidly evolving compliance framework, and represented clients in some of the most complex financial disputes to arise in the Iraqi market. Our team understands both the law as it is written and the financial sector as it actually operates, and that combination is what makes our advice genuinely useful.
Whether you are a bank navigating new regulatory requirements, a borrower structuring a major financing, an investor entering Iraq's financial services sector, or a fintech company launching a digital product into an underserved market, Etihad Law Firm brings the expertise, the relationships and the commercial judgment your transaction demands.
Private capital
A banking system long dominated by state-owned institutions is opening to private investment.
Digital banking
New licences for digital banks, electronic payments and mobile money are reshaping the market.
Modernised regulation
The Central Bank of Iraq has widened its oversight to new categories of financial service.
International investors
Regional banks and global private equity funds are looking at Iraq with renewed seriousness.
Core services
How we help
Regulation & licensing
Iraq's banking sector is regulated by the Central Bank of Iraq, which has expanded its oversight to digital payment providers, money transfer businesses, microfinance institutions and new categories of financial service. We advise banks and financial institutions on the full spectrum of regulatory obligations and have guided multiple clients through licensing before the Central Bank of Iraq.
Islamic finance
Islamic finance is a significant and growing part of Iraq's financial landscape. We advise on the full range of Sharia-compliant structures used in Iraq, working with Islamic banks, conventional banks offering Islamic windows, and borrowers seeking Sharia-compliant financing.
Digital banking & fintech
The Central Bank of Iraq has introduced a framework for digital banking licences, electronic payment services and mobile money operations, and it continues to evolve. We have advised the first wave of digital banking applicants, payment service providers and fintech companies navigating this new landscape.
Lending & secured finance
From bilateral corporate loans to syndicated facilities, project finance and real estate-backed lending, for lenders and borrowers alike, on transactions from USD 10 million to over USD 150 million. We know how security is created, registered and enforced in Iraq, and where the gaps are that other advisers miss.
Project & infrastructure finance
Financing Iraq's energy, transport, water, housing and digital infrastructure requires structuring that balances sponsors, lenders, government offtakers and contractors. We have advised on project finance structures for some of Iraq's most significant infrastructure and energy projects.
Capital markets & investment
With the Iraq Stock Exchange providing a platform for equity listings and the securities framework continuing to mature, we advise businesses considering a listing, investors in the Iraqi market and issuers raising capital through debt or equity instruments.
Across the transaction
From licence to enforcement
- Market entry & licensing
- Structuring
- Documentation
- Security & registration
- Compliance & AML
- Restructuring
- Enforcement & recovery
Track record
Representative experience
Digital banking & fintech
What we advise fintechs on
Who we advise
Iraq's financial sector is transforming.
The right legal partner makes the difference between leading that change and being left behind by it.