Creating up to half a million jobs
Iraq to start manufacturing cars locally
BAGHDAD – The Ministry of Industry announced plans for Iraq to produce fully Iraqi-manufactured cars through public-private partnerships, leveraging over 60 years of assembly experience. The authorities have not offered a timetable for the launch of the project.
This initiative is expected to create around half a million jobs and generate substantial income for the state, according to Taha Baqer Al-Mashat, Deputy Chairman of Zsco Group, which also sells cars among its various activities. Al-Mashat estimated that the price of these cars would be around $12,000.
“Iraq is predominantly a car-consuming country due to the lack of sufficient public transportation,” Al-Mashat told Iraq’s state-run Al-Sabah newspaper. He emphasized that domestic car manufacturing could be a successful industry if certain conditions, such as protecting local products and providing easy loans, are met.
Al-Mashat added that with these factors in place, Iraq could produce various types of cars, from sedans to multi-purpose vehicles. The car manufacturing industry could employ between 300,000 to 500,000 workers due to its integrative nature, involving numerous factories and processes. These include factories for car bodies, engines, gearboxes, electrical components, interior designs, tires, and brake systems, as well as assembly lines, storage, transport, sales, and after-sales services.
According to the National Statistical Office, the number of passenger cars in Iraq reached 1.91 million in 2019, a 3.24% increase from the previous year. This placed Iraq 62nd among the 135 countries monitored for the number of passenger cars.
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