Kurdistan-Made Products Take Spotlight at HITEX 2026

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Mohammed Shukri, Chairman of the Kurdistan Region Investment Board, said Tuesday that HITEX 2026 marks a more advanced edition of the annual technology exhibition, with locally developed products, including a smartphone manufactured in the Kurdistan Region and a smart banking system, among the technologies on display.

Speaking to Kurdistan24 during the seventh Hawler International Technology Exhibition, Shukri said the participation of companies specializing in technology and smart banking systems was particularly important for the Kurdistan Region's future.

He said rapid technological development around the world made it increasingly important for the Region to attract investment that provides access to advanced technologies and helps improve services and living standards.

According to Shukri, the Kurdistan Region is seeking to benefit from leading technologies available internationally through investment across different sectors.

He also highlighted the growing use of artificial intelligence and said he hoped technological development would extend more deeply into major areas of the Region's economy and public life.

Shukri specifically pointed to industry, agriculture, tourism, education and training, higher education and healthcare as sectors where wider adoption of technology could provide greater benefits to citizens.

This year's exhibition opened Tuesday at the Erbil International Fairground in Sami Abdulrahman Park in the presence of Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani and other senior officials.

HITEX 2026 runs from Oct. 6 to 9 and brings together more than 150 technology companies and startups from Iraq and abroad.

Organizers expect more than 50,000 visitors, with companies participating from over 15 countries. The program also includes more than 30 startups and over 40 expert speakers.

Artificial intelligence is among the major areas featured at the exhibition, alongside robotics, cybersecurity, telecommunications, financial technology, the Internet of Things and consumer technology.

Among the technologies being presented are humanoid robots and specialized drones developed for purposes including firefighting and mine detection and clearance.

The conference program also includes discussions on Iraq's digital economy, foreign investment, government partnerships involving artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data and digital identity.

For Shukri, however, one of the distinguishing features of the 2026 edition is the increasing visibility of technology developed inside the Kurdistan Region itself.

The presence of a locally manufactured smartphone and locally developed smart banking technology, he said, demonstrates a difference between this year's exhibition and previous editions.

HITEX has been held annually since its launch in 2019 and is now in its seventh consecutive edition.

The exhibition provides space for established international companies as well as startups and smaller local businesses to present products, meet investors and explore commercial partnerships.

Shukri's comments also placed the exhibition within the Kurdistan Region's broader effort to bring technological development into sectors beyond the technology industry itself.

His emphasis was not only on importing advanced products but also on encouraging investment, local production and practical applications that can be used across the economy.

As global developments in artificial intelligence and digital systems accelerate, Shukri said the Kurdistan Region should seek to make greater use of those technologies so their benefits reach citizens across a wider range of fields.