Domestic manufacturing thrives in the Kurdistan Region

ERBIL, December 30 — A business association in the Kurdistan Region has reported that 95 percent of the 2,000 manufacturing plants in the region are locally-owned, with a majority operating in Erbil governorate.

Ata Mohammed Nuri, Vice President of the Union of Exporters and Importers in Kurdistan, informed 964 that a total of 4,470 factories have received licenses in recent years, of which 2,418 are operating. Erbil leads with 1,351 factories, followed by 746 in Sulaymaniyah and 321 in Duhok.

The factories cover a range of industries, including steel, cement, food, chemicals, and various equipment. Foreign investment in these enterprises is minimal, Nuri said, issuing a call for foreign companies to establish branches in the Kurdistan Region and contribute to economic growth.

The Kurdistan Region Investment Board has emphasized its focus on reviving the region’s industrial and tourism sectors, issuing licenses to approximately 100 industrial and 42 tourism projects.