1. Erbil Companies in an Emerging Market
With a growing population that reaches more than 1.5 million people, a tremendous influx of
Arab and international visitors, as well as increasing financial activities, the city of Erbil has
become a hub of modern contemporary living which is combined with the significant traditional
culture of the Kurdish people. A large number of international, Arab, and local Erbil companies,
upper-scale luxurious hotels, and all kind of businesses, such as retail, entertainment, and
services, make the capital of the autonomous Kurdish region flourish and prosper.
Applying the Democratic Values
The autonomous Kurdistan Government is oriented towards limiting the public sector while
embracing and assisting the private sector to achieve its goals through favorable legislation,
democratic principles, and through fighting corruption and inefficiency. Since the difficult years
of the 1990s and the early 2000s, Kurdistan has made a big progress towards becoming a
successful emerging market under a democratic regime that protects the interests of its people.
A Success Story
Although the whole of the Kurdistan region enjoys a stable political environment and significant
levels of security compared to the rest of Iraq, Erbil, the capital of the region, seems to have
attracted the largest number of investments. From the major construction projects of luxurious
gated “villages” to the construction of the new Erbil International Airport, and from the building
of several shopping malls, hotels, and amusement parks, to the building of roads and highways,
Erbil companies seem to have bright prospects for undertaking similar projects in other Kurdish
cities and in the rest of Iraq.
Oil and Gas Companies
The oil and gas sector is probably the most significant in the autonomous Kurdistan region and
it has made a major contribution to the economic growth of the area. There are plans for the
building of a new pipeline to take oil from the Kurdistan area to the Turkish border which will
strengthen the relationship and the economic ties of the two countries and increase profits for
Kurdistan.
A Multitude of Erbil Companies
Apart from the Oil and Gas sector that offers the more prospects for dealings in the existing and
unexplored reserves in Kurdistan, the most flourishing Erbil companies include:
•157 construction companies
•327 general business companies
•19 auto, clothing and furniture companies

2. •45 hotel companies
•17 media companies
•27 health care companies
•32 travel and tourism companies
•35 Information technology companies
•18 car companies and a lot more…
Today Erbil is a bustling business and trade center that attracts investments from the Arab
world and from a large number of international companies. Some of the existing Erbil
companies are vital for the economy not only of the Kurdistan region, but also for the whole of
Iraq. However, the greatest advantage this growth has brought to the region is the thousands of
job prospects offered to young Kurdish scientists who come back to their native land after
having spent several years abroad, while at the same time the young people living in the country
are optimistic about having a bright future in their own country.