Event Schedule

Official Opening Ceremony of ITEX IRAQ 2026 and Its Forums

The official opening ceremony of ITEX IRAQ 2026, bringing together senior government officials, institutional leaders, strategic partners, and industry representatives to launch the exhibition and its main forum programme.

• 
  Mr. Ali Falih Al-Zaidi

  Prime Minister of Iraq — Office of the Prime Minister

• 
  Eng. Mustafa Sanad

  Minister of Communications of the Republic of Iraq — Ministry of Communications – Republic of Iraq

• 
  Dr. Mustafa Nizar Juma Al-Ani

  Minister of Trade — Ministry of Trade – Republic of Iraq

• 
  Abdul Karim Abtan Al-Jubouri

  Minister of Education, Republic of Iraq — Ministry of Education – Republic of Iraq

• 
  Dr. Abdul Hussein Aziz Al-Moussawi

  Minister of Health — Ministry of Health – Republic of Iraq

• 
  Dr. Khalid Shwani

  Minister of Justice and Acting Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, Republic of Iraq — Ministry of Justice & Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs – Republic of Iraq

• 
  Mohammed Nouri Ahmed Al-Karbouli

  Minister of Industry and Minerals — Ministry of Industry and Minerals – Republic of Iraq

• 
  Baligh Mithqal Abu Kalal

  Chief Executive Officer of the Communications and Media Commission of Iraq — Communications and Media Commission of Iraq

• 
  Mohammed Samir

  Chief Commercial Officer — Zain Iraq

Enhancing the Efficiency of Iraq’s Telecommunications Market

This high-level panel brings together government leaders, regulators, telecommunications operators, infrastructure providers, and industry experts to examine the current state and future development of Iraq’s telecommunications market. The discussion will address the size and efficiency of the telecommunications sector, nationwide 4G coverage, the development of 5G services, data centre capacity, internet traffic through the national exchange, and Iraq’s growing role in subsea cable and international transit connectivity. The session aims to identify practical opportunities to strengthen infrastructure, improve service quality, increase network capacity, enhance market competitiveness, and position Iraq as a more connected regional digital hub.

• 
  Eng. Mustafa Sanad

  Minister of Communications of the Republic of Iraq — Ministry of Communications – Republic of Iraq

• 
  Baligh Mithqal Abu Kalal

  Chief Executive Officer of the Communications and Media Commission of Iraq — Communications and Media Commission of Iraq

• 
  Dr. Blasim Salim

  Chairman of the Board of Commissioners of the Communications and Media Commission of Iraq — Communications and Media Commission of Iraq

• 
  Ahmed Rakwi

  CEO IRAQ IXP — IRAQ IXP PROJECT

• 
  Dr. Eng. Yasser Amer Abdul Jabbar Al-Jawhar · Moderator

  Telecommunications & ICT Expert — MOC-Iraq

• 
  Dr. Rafid Al-Khafaji

  Vice President & Board Member — Huawei

Strengthening Local Content and the Technology Market

A high-level panel on strengthening Iraq’s local technology ecosystem, attracting investment, supporting regional headquarters, and accelerating emerging technologies and cloud adoption.

• 
  Dr. Blasim Salim

  Chairman of the Board of Commissioners of the Communications and Media Commission of Iraq — Communications and Media Commission of Iraq

• 
  Eng. Bassam Salem Al-Zaidi

  Advisor to the Minister of Communications — MOC - Republic of Iraq

• 
  Mr. Adel Akab Hussein

  President of the Iraqi Federation of Industries — Iraqi Federation of Industries

• 
  Mohamed Aboulnaga “Nagaty” · Moderator

  Executive Chairman, Exits MENA — Exits MENA

The Importance of Digital Indicators for International Organizations in the Telecommunications Sector

A panel discussion exploring the importance of digital indicators and international standards in developing Iraq’s telecommunications sector, improving its global rankings, and strengthening investment in digital infrastructure.

• 
  Dr. Ammar Hadi

  Director General of the Planning — Ministry of Communications – Republic of Iraq

• 
  Karim Mohamed Mahmoud Abdelghani

  Senior Advisor, Arab Regional Office — Acting Regional Director, ITU Arab Regional Office

• 
  Ahmed Salim Hanoun

  Director of the International Organizations and Regional Affairs Division — هيأة الاعلام والاتصالات

• 
  Dr. Ali Abbas Al-Sabbagh · Moderator

  ITPC

Developing Digital Capabilities

A high-level panel on building Iraq’s digital workforce, expanding ICT skills, supporting AI education, and strengthening national digital capabilities.

• 
  Eng. Mustafa Sanad

  Minister of Communications of the Republic of Iraq — Ministry of Communications – Republic of Iraq

• 
  Prof. Dr. Haider Abd Dhahd

  Deputy Minister for Scientific Research — MOHESR – Republic of Iraq

• 
  Dr. Huda Sajjad Mahmoud

  Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Affairs — Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs – Republic of Iraq

• 
  Dr. Ali Nasser Alkhwaildi

  President of the Iraqi Association for Information and Communications Technology — Iraqi Association for Information and Communications Technology (IAICT)

• 
  Prof. Dr. Salah Al-Shammari

  Chairman of the Board of Trustees — Al-Mamoun University

• 
  Dr. Maged Ghoneima

  Founder & General Partner, M-Empire Angels — M-Empire Angels

• 
  Dr. Muntadhar Qasim Abdulhassan · Moderator

  Lecturer — University of Al-Qadisiyah

• 
  Atheer Hamed Al-Qaisi

  President of the Iraqi Programmers Syndicate — Iraqi Programmers Syndicate

The Sixth Digital Transformation Forum

A high-level forum focused on accelerating digital transformation across Iraq’s government institutions, healthcare, education, statistics, and public services.

The Sixth FinTech Forum

A high-level forum exploring the future of financial technology, digital payments, banking innovation, and digital insurance in Iraq.

Cybersecurity Forum & Global PropTech Summit

A high-level programme focused on cybersecurity, digital trust, critical infrastructure protection, and the future of smart cities and PropTech in Iraq.