Iraq ranked third among Arab countries in gold reserves in September 2026, according to World Gold Council data.
The country’s gold reserves reached 175.6 metric tons, up from 162.7 tons during the same period last year, showing continued growth in its holdings.
Saudi Arabia topped the Arab rankings with 323.1 tons of gold reserves, while Lebanon came in second with 286.8 tons. Iraq secured third place with 175.6 tons, slightly ahead of Algeria, which held 173.6 tons.
Libya ranked fifth with 146.7 tons, followed by Egypt with 129.7 tons and Qatar with 116.2 tons.
Kuwait held 79 tons of gold reserves, Jordan had 77.8 tons, and the United Arab Emirates recorded 74.5 tons. Syria’s reserves stood at 25.8 tons, while Morocco held 22.1 tons.
Among the countries with smaller holdings, Tunisia recorded 6.8 tons, Oman had 6.7 tons, and Bahrain held 4.7 tons.
Overall, Arab countries included in the World Gold Council’s list of the world’s 100 largest gold holders possessed a combined 1,649.1 tons of gold. This represented about 4.52% of the roughly 36,478 tons of gold reserves held worldwide.
The World Gold Council compiles its rankings using data from central banks, the International Monetary Fund and other official sources. Iraq’s increase in gold reserves over the past year reflects ongoing efforts to strengthen its reserve assets and diversify holdings alongside foreign currency reserves.
