Tehran – IRNA – A member of the board of directors of the Iran-Iraq Joint Chamber of Commerce said: “If technology trade activists are familiar with the needs of the Iraqi market, there are many opportunities for Iranian activists to invest and trade in this market.”
According to the ICT Federation, “Seyed Hamid Hosseini” added: “The growth of the information technology market and start-up businesses in developed countries of the world due to the growth of education and increasing the share of university graduates, in addition to being influenced by leading economies, more or less It is spreading. Iraq is no exception.
A member of the board of directors of the Iran-Iraq Joint Chamber of Commerce stated: The population of Iraq is very young and the average age of the population of this country is about 20 years. Smartphones and mobile devices have also become very popular in this country.
Hosseini said that it is estimated that there are about 40 million mobile phone lines in Iraq, most of which are smartphones. It is now almost certain that something called a landline phone will no longer work in Iraq.
Social networks are now the main tool of Iraq’s digital business
The former Secretary General of the Iran-Iraq Joint Chamber of Commerce emphasized: The use of digital tools, cyberspace and social networks in Iraq is very strong. The spread of the corona has further increased the number of Iraqis turning to e-commerce.
“Iraqi citizens, especially the youth, like many other Arab countries in the region, were very interested in using online social networks,” Hosseini said. Despite the prevalence of virtual and social networks in Iraq, the use of local and domestic software and applications was very low in this country.
“More than 70 percent of the bandwidth used by Iraqis, according to a new study, is spent on YouTube,” he said, referring to estimates of Internet usage in Iraq. 15-16% of bandwidth is also spent using Facebook. In general, the use of websites and mobile applications or even e-mail is not very common in Iraq.
He continued: “Most Internet users in Iraq are looking for video content on the Internet and use Facebook or Instagram instead of special communication tools such as email.” Many advertising and shopping order services in Iraq are also provided through these social networks, especially Facebook.
Seyed Hamid Hosseini stated: Of course, the same use of social networks by Iraqi users also has benefits. For example, Iraqi economic activists and businessmen are continuously using the services of the professional social network LinkedIn. Although the use of this social network is not very common in Iran, but Iranian businessmen and economic activists can easily use this social network to communicate with well-known Iraqi businessmen and managers.
The role of immigrant youth in the development of mobile software in Iraq
Referring to the large population of elites living abroad in Iraq, Hosseini stressed: “Part of the population of educated immigrants and young Iraqi elites who have gone abroad due to years of war and destruction are very active in the field of software and start-up Internet businesses.”
“Many of the native mobile applications and software that have become popular in Iraq are the product of these immigrant elites,” he said. In fact, overseas student youth in Britain, Australia, and other developed countries translate, localize, and present the ideas and initiatives they see in popular apps in these developed countries to Iraqi users.
Hosseini added: “In the meantime, there are fewer Iraqi-specific initiatives and innovations in the field of native mobile software, and most of the start-ups established by young Iraqi immigrants are translating and localizing other common ideas.”
Presence of foreign investors in the Iraqi market
Hosseini continued: “There is a group of foreign countries that have invested in the field of digital commerce, mobile software and information technology in Iraq.” The Lebanese, for example, have begun work to create new Internet businesses in Iraq.
Referring to Iraqi students living in Iran, a member of the board of directors of the Iran-Iraq Joint Chamber of Commerce said: “Iraqi students studying in Iran have also started projects for mobile and IC software.”
He continued: “Some Iraqi private companies that are in contact with Iranian economic activists have brought Iranian ideas and software to Iraq for use in Iraqi Internet businesses.”
The growth of the business customer service sector
Analyzing the Iraqi IT and digital market, Hosseini said: “The B2C (Business to Consumer) services sector in Iraq is growing rapidly and new opportunities are being created in this field in this country.” In fact, most e-commerce activities are based on ordering goods or services from the customer to businesses. New software, apps, apps, and digital services are being developed or are being established in Iraq, both online and in the field of healthcare for doctor’s time and health services.
Seyed Hamid Hosseini emphasized: “It is the same in our country, currently the main growth of digital commerce is in the field of B2C and we still do not see extraordinary growth in areas such as B2B (Business to Business) and C2B (Consumer to Business).”