Kurdistan Region to manufacture first smartphone in Middle East
Bargasht Akrayi, a spokesperson for the Board of Investment of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), confirmed to Kurdistan24 that the smartphone, branded as Infinix, is currently being manufactured in Erbil.
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has announced a landmark achievement for the region: the production of the first smartphone in the Middle East.
Bargasht Akrayi, a spokesperson for the Board of Investment of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), confirmed to Kurdistan24 that the smartphone, branded as Infinix, is currently being manufactured in Erbil.
"All individuals involved in the production process are from the Kurdistan Region, with the exception of a few Chinese technology experts," Akrayi stated.
“In total, they are working to produce 30,000 such phones per month,” he added.
He further elaborated that the specific model in production is the Smart 8, followed by Smart 9, which is expected to be completed and ready for distribution next month. While the product is already available within the Kurdistan Region, it is also being exported to several Arab countries, including Syria, Jordan, Algeria, and Lebanon.
Addressing the pricing, Akrayi explained that the phone's cost is determined by its features, running on the Android operating system and comparable to other smartphones in the market.
Initially, a small factory will employ around 300 people. However, upon the completion of a larger factory, the workforce is projected to exceed 1,000. Akrayi highlighted that approximately 97% of the current employees are Kurds, holding college or university degrees in IT and having received training from their Chinese counterparts.
This development marks a significant step forward for the Kurdistan Region's technological capabilities and economic diversification efforts.
