A worker operates a packaging line at Al-Jazeera Pharmaceutical Industries in Abu Ghraib, where the facility produces up to one million tablets daily. Photo by 964media.
Iraqi pharmaceutical plant produces up to 1 million pills daily, minister says
BAGHDAD — A pharmaceutical plant in Abu Ghraib is producing up to one million pills per day, according to company officials who hosted a visit this week by Industry and Minerals Minister Khalid Battal.
Battal toured Al-Jazeera Pharmaceutical Industries alongside the head of the Iraqi National Industries Union to review the site’s production capacity and technical developments. The facility, established in 2002, currently produces 60 registered medicines, with 20 additional products in development. Officials said domestic pharmaceutical output from this and other factories now meets 30% of Iraq’s market demand.
“The company was established in 2002 and manufactures a variety of drug forms, including tablets, capsules, suppositories, and sachets,” said Mustafa Muneer, the company’s director. “We also produce penicillin-based products, which are completely isolated due to their specialized nature. These include tablets, capsules, and powder forms.”
He added that the plant’s daily output ranges from 500,000 to one million pills, while syrup and penicillin divisions produce between 10,000 and 20,000 units per day.
Mohammed Abd, deputy head of the Iraqi Industries Union, said efforts to localize pharmaceutical production were initiated by the union. “The General Directorate for Industrial Development manages small and medium-sized private factories under the law,” he said.
“Previously, Iraq had only 10 medicine factories. That number has grown by 17. Local production used to cover just 10% of market needs — now it covers 30%, and we expect that to reach 70% within the next two to three years,” Abd said.
During the visit, Minister Battal praised the company’s workforce and marked International Workers’ Day.
“I was very pleased to see a group of young people running this company efficiently,” he said. “Their vision is promising, and it shows that we have capable youth who can contribute to the revival of Iraq’s industrial sector.”
Battal emphasized the role of the private sector in addressing unemployment. “In Iraq, there are more than four million government employees, plus many graduates who haven’t been able to find jobs in the public sector,” he said. “The solution lies in turning to the private sector, which can support the broader economy.”
He added that the industrial sector is key to reducing Iraq’s reliance on oil. “In recent months, we’ve seen investment contracts awarded that didn’t cost the state anything — the investor brought the capital, started work, and the state received its share according to law and logic.”
Battal also underscored the wage gap between sectors. “The minimum wage for insured workers is 800,000 dinars [about $556], while the lowest government pension is around 400,000 dinars [$278], which highlights the importance of supporting the private sector in creating decent, stable jobs,” he said.