Baghdad: Economic expert, Manar Al-Obaidi, announced today, Wednesday, that the Central Bank of Iraq's gold reserves have reached more than 24 trillion dinars. This marks an annual increase of 13.3% and a significant 135% increase compared to the previous year. According to National Iraqi News Agency, Al-Obaidi stated that these gold reserves now account for 20% of the Central Bank's total reserves, which sum up to 123 trillion Iraqi dinars. This achievement is notable as it is the first time in the history of the Central Bank of Iraq that gold reserves have surpassed 20 trillion dinars, and their contribution to total reserves has exceeded 20%. Al-Obaidi emphasized that this substantial level of gold reserves bolsters the strength and value of the Iraqi dinar, particularly amidst fluctuations in global currencies, including the dollar. The Central Bank of Iraq has thus aimed to elevate the percentage of its gold reserves, viewing it as a crucial safety measure in response to international financial volatil ity.