Iraq inks data center MoU with Huawei as tech giant employs 10,000 across country

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The Iraqi Ministry of Communications formalized a strategic partnership with global telecommunications giant Huawei on Friday, October 2, 2026, signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to construct modern enterprise data centers across the country. Finalized during the 5th Iraq International Information and Communications Technology Exhibition and Conference (ITEX 2026) in Baghdad, the agreement was concluded under the sponsorship and in the presence of Minister of Communications Mustafa Sanad between the state-owned General Company for Communications and Informatics and Huawei’s executive leadership. The initiative is aimed at bolstering Iraq’s sovereign cloud hosting, elevating service quality, and broadening international technical cooperation. On the sidelines of the expo, Huawei confirmed the extensive scope of its commercial footprint in Iraq, revealing that it actively partners with more than 240 domestic Iraqi enterprises across diverse sectors. Rafid Abbas Al-Khafaji, Vice President and Board Member of Huawei Iraq, told the Iraqi News Agency (INA) that this marked the company’s inaugural participation as an exhibitor at ITEX, expressing admiration for the high caliber of domestic and multinational engagement. Al-Khafaji noted that Huawei presented specialized end-to-end solutions spanning oil and gas digitalization, telecommunications, smart transportation, healthcare systems, artificial intelligence, and modular data center architecture. Reviewing the company’s continuous commercial presence in Iraq since 2003, Al-Khafaji emphasized that Huawei remained fully operational through all domestic security and economic challenges, including uninterrupted on-site work by its Chinese engineering teams during the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, the corporation operates four major regional branches in Baghdad, Basra, Erbil, and Sulaymaniyah, supporting a wider ecosystem of over 10,000 employees. Addressing public misconceptions, Al-Khafaji clarified that while Huawei is widely recognized among consumers for consumer smartphones, handset sales represent the smallest segment of its business portfolio by volume. The firm’s enterprise and carrier operations form the backbone of its Iraqi footprint, servicing major mobile network operators alongside key sovereign institutions, including the Ministries of Oil, Transport, Interior, and Defense, as well as the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers. Beyond central government networks, Huawei is driving provincial smart security solutions—such as Babylon Governorate’s integrated municipal surveillance network—while advancing intelligent electric vehicle systems and cloud infrastructures designed to anchor Iraq’s next-generation digital economy.