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baghdad’s top employers & hidden job hunting traps (spoiler: they’re not in the green zone)

@Eva Soler2/7/2026blog

if you ever wanted to know where the real money’s flowing in baghdad, it’s not the palaces of the al rassooli. it’s in the crumbling office blocks of da’ira al-noor, the shabby-chic co-working spaces near the river, and yes, even the backroom dealings in the bakery district. as someone who’s migrated here bouncing between jobs (i’m a digital nomad, which means my resume includes ‘struggled through a three-hour power outage interview’), i’ve learned that survival here means knowing which companies actually pay. before i get dumped by the internet again, let’s dissect this mess.

*oil and gas: the real mvps (unless you’re a nationalist’)

okay, real talk: the oil sector is where the money’s always been. companies like santia oil and iraqi national oil company (inoma) are the ones churning out shekels, but they’re also drowning in bureaucracy. when i freelanced here, a buddy who worked at inoma once told me how they have to bribe some guy named hassan every month just to keep the aircon running. and safety? if you’re a female engineer walking near the acme post office, you get stared out of windows like you invaded.

mega bank: where loan sharks moonlight

another top player is mega bank of iraq. they’ve got fancy branches in bavka mall (don’t go here unless you like escalators that tilt upward on purpose), and they’re notorious for slapping remote work offers on linkedin while expecting you to attend meetings at 3 am when the clock reads 11. overheard a colleague say, ‘‘this place is like a startup, except the barista is a former warlord’’. pro tip: check glassdoor-there’s a 4.2 rating here, but only because ‘awesome street art near the lobby’ is padding.

the hidden gems: healthcare & education

you’d never guess, but sdic (central clinical laboratory) is one of the bigger employers downtown. my cousin moeja worked there until his manager got kidnapped last year. not exaggerating. meanwhile, mosul’s reconstruction projects are hiring, but good luck dodging checkpoint delays. if you’re a teacher, schools like al-hurriya academy pay in smoke and old textbooks, but hey, the neighbors are hilarious-last week, a woman argued with her cat over rent payments in the courtyard of my hostel.

cost of living vs. ego

rent here is wild. i paid $150/month for a one-bedroom in nazim crowded near the iraqi hotel. compared to london, that’s 70% off’-but don’t forget safety stats. the oikm report says 1 in 3 areas are considered high-risk (don’t ask what a ‘‘high-risk’’vibe feels like unless you wanna experience it firsthand). healthcare’s a mess too: i had to visit al-kazim medical center last month and they still didn’t have a covid rapid test. oh shit, maybe link to their yelp page: al-kazim medical center yelp.

weather? what’s that?

bagsd had? more like burn’d. i saw a man in a speedo laboring outside a car battery shop yesterday-january high of 41°c. winters? you’ll get days where you can almost see your breath through the haze. neighbors? think of the neighbors like the city itself: chaotic, loud, and always watching.

final thoughts (or as i call them, ‘‘drunken dad musings’’)*

if you’re job hunting here, avoid mega bank, don’t skimp on bribes (seriously), and have a backup plan. i’m off to join a cult’-at least they pay in rice and existential fulfillment. p.s. don’t believe the tripadvisor reviews for the iraqi mall. the one about ‘‘great falafel’’? that’s my cousin’s instagram bro. links:
- r/baghdad expat thread
- tripadvisor iraqi mall review
- unseen iraq blog: cost of living

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About the author: Eva Soler

Lover of good books, bad puns, and deep conversations.

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