ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Tuesday said digitalization is essential to advancing the Region’s economy and creating jobs as he opened the seventh annual HITEX technology fair in Erbil.

“Building a digital foundation is necessary to advance all services and connect them to each other,” Barzani told The New Region at the event.

Held at the Erbil International Fairground, the four-day exhibition brings together local and international technology companies, experts, and businesses to showcase technological advancements and discuss the digital sector.

Barzani congratulated attendees “who have made inventions in advancing the digital sector and digitizing services in the Kurdistan Region,” highlighting the importance of these efforts in advancing the Region’s economy and creating jobs.

Digitalizing the Kurdistan Region’s affairs has been one of the key goals of the KRG’s ninth cabinet under Barzani.

More than 150 exhibitors representing local and global technology brands are participating in the event, with more than 12,000 people registered to attend.

The event includes panels, seminars, and discussions around three main topics: artificial intelligence and technology, the digital economy, and social media content. More than 40 experts from around the world are expected to attend and speak at the exhibition.

HITEX is regarded by its organizers as the fifth-largest technology festival in the Middle East and the largest in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq. The event serves as a platform for foreign and global companies to connect with the Kurdistan Region and Iraqi markets, according to HITEX.