Legislation & data governance
Discussing legislation and data governance to strengthen digital sovereignty and the AI economy.
Digital Economy …
Toward an AI Economy
A national platform for dialogue and partnership bringing government, the private sector, international organizations and experts to one table.
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ORGANIZED BY
+400Participants in 2025
24Speakers
14Partners & sponsoring entities
20Hours of content
Sponsors of previous editions
Toward an integrated digital economy
The forum builds on the outcomes of its first and second editions toward an integrated digital economy focused on legislation, infrastructure, financial technology and the development of digital human capital. It is an important national initiative that brings together specialists from inside and outside Iraq to work with transparency and sincerity, putting the country’s interest first, in order to equip Iraq with a clear digital strategy, attract experts, and benefit from international standards and the experience of advanced countries to reach the optimum level.
The first and second editions of the Digital Economy Forum, in 2024 and 2025, saw broad participation from global companies, international organizations and Iraq’s public and private sectors, where digital challenges were discussed and practical recommendations were issued, supported by clear performance indicators.
Third edition · 2026
In its third edition (2026), the forum keeps pace with the global shift by focusing on the “AI Economy” as a main engine within the wider digital-economy ecosystem. Guided by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the indicators of the Arab Digital Economy Report 2026, the forum examines the investment required in infrastructure and cloud computing to enable advanced automation and smart forecasting, and to generate added economic value across trade, finance and government services.
- LegislationLEGISLATION
- InfrastructureINFRASTRUCTURE
- FinTechFINTECH
- Human capitalHUMAN CAPITAL
- 2024First edition · Babylon Hotel
- 2025Second edition · Tigris Village
- 2026Third edition · Baghdad
Forum objectivesFORUM OBJECTIVES
Cloud computing & data centers
Reviewing the requirements of cloud computing, data centers and development-oriented AI applications under ITU frameworks.
Financial inclusion & FinTech
Strengthening financial inclusion, FinTech and AI applications in finance and business.
Human capital & jobs of the future
Developing human capital and advanced digital skills for the jobs of the future.
Strategic pillars of the third edition
International references and the executive definition of the core concepts
Global reference
ITUThe guidance of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) on harnessing artificial intelligence and big data for sustainable development (AI for Good & Development 4.0), and on building advanced digital skills.
Regional reference
The outputs of the Arab Digital Economy Index 2026 issued by the strategic partner (Arab Federation for Digital Economy), specifically the pillars of digital sovereignty and closing Iraq’s major investment gaps:
19.60
Financial inclusion gapgap points
24.90
Cloud & data-center gapgap points
Enabling digital sovereignty
DIGITAL SOVEREIGNTYStrengthening the state’s ability to host and manage its cloud infrastructure and critical data locally, and establishing the legislative and security frameworks that guarantee data privacy and service continuity without full operational dependence on external platforms.
Technology localization
TECHNOLOGY LOCALIZATIONMoving from merely consuming ready-made software to developing national human capital, empowering startups, and developing and adapting AI applications that generate sustainable added value within the Iraqi economy.
Two pillars that define the identity of the third edition within the AI-economy ecosystem.
The forum & the specialized expo
Third edition — “Digital Economy … Toward an AI Economy”
Panel 01
01
Infrastructure & cloud computing: enabling digital sovereignty and AI data governance
- National data centers
- Cloud computing
- Open-data governance frameworks
- Cybersecurity as a pillar of national sovereignty
Panel 02
02
AI in finance & business: financial innovation, supply chains and human-capital development
- FinTech and smart payments
- Trade automation and supply chains
- Developing national skills for the jobs of the future
Specialized expo
03
A leading platform showcasing the latest digital solutions
- Cloud computing and data-center solutions
- Enterprise AI applications
- Financial technologies
- Cybersecurity systems
12main sectors of the global digital economy
Digital-economy sectors
The global digital economy spans digital infrastructure, information technology, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, data services, e-commerce, digital finance, cybersecurity, smart cities, digital government, Industry 4.0, digital health, education technology, platform-based services and technology-enabled creative industries.
01Digital infrastructure
02Information technology & software
03Artificial intelligence & emerging technologies
04Data & cloud computing
05E-commerce
06FinTech & payments
07Cybersecurity & digital trust
08Governance & digital services
09Smart cities
10Digital industry & agriculture
11Digital health & education
12Media, platforms & creative industries
15target sectors
The forum focuses on bringing together the main sectors related to digital-economy development, contributing to Iraq’s digital transformation. They include:
01Telecommunications & IT
02Financial & banking services
03E-commerce
04Startups & entrepreneurship
05Government services
06Investment
07Industry & industrial transformation
08Oil, gas & energy
09Transport & logistics
10Health
11Education
12Real estate & construction
13Agriculture & food security
14Tourism
15Media
The forum is held in partnership with
An institutional partnership with government, commercial and international bodies active in digital transformation.
Our partners
Partners of success in the previous editions
National bodies, global companies and international organizations that took part in the 2024 and 2025 editions
National partnersNATIONAL PARTNERS
International partners · global technology companiesGLOBAL TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES
International partners · international organizations & institutionsINTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS & INSTITUTIONS
SponsorsSPONSORS
Highlights of the previous editions
From Babylon Hotel to Tigris Village — the Iraqi Digital Economy Forum
2024
First edition · Babylon Hotel · Baghdad
- 15Recommendations to build the foundations of the digital economy
- 7National targets in numbers
- 2030Horizon of the national targets
With global technology companies — Microsoft · Huawei · SAP · Visa — alongside senior officials and decision-makers.
2025
Second edition · Tigris Village · Baghdad
- +400Participants
- 24Speakers
- 14Partners & sponsoring entities
- 20Hours of content
17 recommendations in 3 axes, with international institutions — IFC · UNCTAD · GIZ · Microsoft — the Central Bank of Iraq and the banking sector.
2024 recommendations: targets at a glanceTARGETS AT A GLANCE
The first edition produced a wide set of recommendations aimed at building the foundations Iraq’s digital economy needs, starting from key challenges: weak legislation, infrastructure, digital culture and skills, cybersecurity and weak institutional coordination.
Population with high-speed internet access by 2030
Digital-infrastructure coverage of institutions by 2027
Of government services become digital by 2026
Digital transactions as a share of all financial transactions
Of public-sector employees digitally trained by 2028
Supported digital startups by 2030
Iraq ranked among the top 100 countries in digital-readiness indices
Recommendations to build Iraq’s digital-economy foundations — reviewed annually through the forum
2025 recommendationsRECOMMENDATIONS 2025
17recommendations in 3 axes
“From building digital foundations to building the national digital-economy ecosystem”
The second edition’s recommendations came under this title: it moved clearly from general talk about digital transformation to three more specific files — legislation and regulation, infrastructure and the financial sector, and human capital.
Legislation & regulation
The legislative and regulatory framework of the digital economy
Infrastructure & the financial sector
Digital infrastructure and the financial sector
Human capital
Human capital and digital skills
Previous Editions
Forum milestones
The first and second editions of the Digital Economy Forum, in 2024 and 2025, saw broad participation from global companies, international organizations and Iraq’s public and private sectors, where digital challenges were discussed and practical recommendations were issued, supported by clear performance indicators.
01Second Edition · 2025
From digital foundations to a national digital-economy ecosystem
Tigris Village – Baghdad 2025
The second edition of the Iraqi Digital Economy Forum was held at Tigris Village in Baghdad with more than 400 participants, 24 speakers and around 20 hours of content and discussion.
The second edition moved from general talk about digital transformation to three more specific areas
- Legislation, regulation and the legal framework of the digital economy
- Digital infrastructure and the financial sector
- Human capital and digital skills
It produced seventeen practical recommendations supported by clear performance indicators.
02First Edition · 2024
The forum’s launch and the foundations of Iraq’s digital economy
Babel Hotel – Baghdad 2024
The first edition of the Iraqi Digital Economy Forum was launched at Babel Hotel in Baghdad with broad participation from global companies, international organizations and Iraq’s public and private sectors.
It discussed Iraq’s digital challenges and issued fifteen recommendations aimed at building the foundations of the digital economy — from digital inclusion and infrastructure to cybersecurity, digital government services and human capital.
Recommendations
Recommendations that become a roadmap
From building digital foundations to building a national digital-economy ecosystem
The second edition moved from general digital transformation to three more specific areas: legislation and regulation, digital infrastructure and the financial sector, and human capital.
First: Legislative and regulatory framework
01Prepare an integrated national legislative framework for the digital economy
Review and update Iraqi legislation related to digital transformation and identify legislative gaps that hinder growth.
02Prioritize essential digital legislation
Prioritize data protection and privacy, e-transactions and e-signatures, e-commerce, cybersecurity, digital payments, government data exchange, and emerging digital economic activities.
03Develop digital policies based on international standards
Use international standards and practices when drafting Iraqi digital legislation and policy.
04Strengthen institutional coordination
Create a national coordination mechanism among ministries, agencies, public institutions and the private sector to avoid conflicting digital policies and projects.
05Adopt digital trust as a core principle
Include user protection, data protection, cybersecurity and trusted digital transactions.
Second: Digital infrastructure and financial sector
06Treat digital infrastructure as national economic infrastructure
Sustain investment in telecommunications networks, data centers, cloud computing and digital platforms and connect them to sector needs.
First-edition recommendations
The first edition produced a broad set of recommendations aimed at building the foundations needed for Iraq’s digital economy.
01Enhance digital inclusion
Increase access to high-speed internet to 90% by 2030, prioritizing rural and remote areas and reducing the digital divide.
02Develop digital infrastructure
Modernize and expand telecommunications and technology infrastructure to cover public and private institutions and target 100% coverage by 2027.
03Adopt international infrastructure standards
Use ITU and European Union standards and frameworks in developing digital infrastructure and telecommunications.
04Strengthen cybersecurity and data protection
Build Iraq’s cybersecurity capabilities, improve its position in the Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI), protect data and networks, and expand awareness and training.
05Accelerate digitization of government services
Convert at least 50% of government services to digital services by 2026 and develop unified government service platforms.
06Expand digital payments and transactions
Develop electronic payments and e-commerce with a target for digital transactions to reach 80% of total financial transactions.
Why the Iraqi Digital Economy Forum matters
“A national platform bringing together government, the private sector, international organizations and experts to discuss the future of Iraq’s digital economy”
The forum matters because it offers a national platform that brings together government, the private sector, international organizations and experts to discuss the future of Iraq’s digital economy, address legislative, regulatory and technical challenges, and link digital transformation to economic development, investment and job creation. This is aligned with the forum’s objectives on legislation, global digital-economy sectors, workforce development and strengthening the digital financial sector.
- Government
- Private sector
- International organizations
- Experts
What comes after the forum?
Turning the outcomes of the third edition into an executive policy paper and a national roadmap for the AI economy and digital sovereignty in Iraq, submitted to the relevant government and legislative bodies, defining investment priorities, partner responsibilities and performance indicators in line with international indices and standards.
- Priorities01
- Responsible entities02
- Required partnerships03
- Performance indicators04
Third Edition
Be part of the third edition
December 5, 2026 · Baghdad – Iraq
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The organizing companies
An organizing partnership between Iraqi expertise in running conferences and leadership in smart-city and digital-transformation solutions.
Progress Group International for Training & Conferences
PROGRESS GROUP · PTC- +10Years of experience
- +100Events annually
- 2015Registered at the Ministry of Trade
Progress Group International for Training & Conferences is an Iraqi commercial company registered at the Ministry of Trade under No. 2015/88107, specialized in management development, entrepreneurship, simultaneous interpretation and the organization of conferences and exhibitions, with more than 10 years of experience serving the public and private sectors and international institutions.
- Organizing 100+ events a year across Iraq’s governorates
- Iraqi trade missions abroad
- Simultaneous interpretation
- Business development, training and consulting
Digital World International Company
DIGITAL WORLD INTERNATIONAL COMPANYThe first company specialized in smart cities in Iraq. An integrated vision for innovation and sustainability: Digital World International Company is a pioneer in delivering integrated solutions that combine advanced technology and sustainability, with the aim of building smart and sustainable cities.
- Digital transformation
- Smart cities & engineering projects
- E-commerce
- Exhibitions & conferences
Become a Sponsor
Why sponsor the Digital Economy Forum?
Strengthen institutional presence and brand visibility, engage directly with decision-makers and government entities, reach companies, investors and experts, showcase digital solutions and services, and build new partnerships and business opportunities.
- Institutional visibility before decision-makers
- Direct engagement with government entities
- Access to investors and experts
- Showcase digital solutions and services
- New partnerships and business opportunities