Baghdad, Erbil join top 1,000 startup cities
2026-06-13T15:39:25+00:00
Shafaq News- Baghdad/ Erbil
Iraq remained outside the world's top 100 startup ecosystems in the 2026 Global Startup Ecosystem Index published by StartupBlink, despite being identified as an emerging market with growth potential.
The report showed that Baghdad and Erbil ranked among the world's top 1,000 cities for startups, reflecting growing entrepreneurial activity in both cities despite challenges facing Iraq's business and innovation environment.
StartupBlink noted that the Middle East and North Africa recorded strong growth in startup activity during 2026, while Iraq was highlighted as one of the region's emerging markets with potential to further develop its innovation ecosystem.
