The Prime Minister of Iraq has directed the allocation of land for the creation of an industrial city dedicated to small businesses, particularly those supported under Riyada Initiative [Iraqi Riyada Network for Access Development and Advancement, IRADA Network].
Mohammed S. Al-Sudani said that, to date, the initiative has granted loans to around 9,000 beneficiaries, who have completed training and now operate productive projects.
Full statement from the Prime Minister’s Office:
Prime Minister Mohammed S. Al-Sudani met today, Wednesday, with a group of entrepreneurs benefiting from the Riyada Initiative, which was launched under his auspices nearly two years ago.
The Prime Minister congratulated the attendees on the new year, emphasizing that the government will continue its achievements during this period. He commended them for representing the future of Iraq, noting that data from the national census shows the country has one of the youngest populations globally. He also expressed his gratitude to those working on the Riyada Initiative, which has received applications from 425,000 young men and women, reflecting strong confidence in this program.
Prime Minister Al-Sudani stressed the importance of establishing small projects alongside large-scale initiatives. He highlighted that relying on self-employment and private sector projects will allow all job seekers to benefit, pledging the government’s full support for the private sector, especially initiatives like Riyada. To date, the initiative has granted loans to around 9,000 beneficiaries who have completed training and now operate productive projects.
The Prime Minister underscored the importance of diversifying the training offered to beneficiaries to include vocational, industrial, and digital skills, aligning with developments in artificial intelligence. He also stressed the need to include business culture, laws, and regulations within the training curricula, stating that Riyada’s participants are future business leaders and major company owners.
Prime Minister Al-Sudani directed the allocation of land for the creation of an industrial city dedicated to small businesses, particularly those under Riyada. He also instructed that remaining loan applications be covered and expanded to include different groups, particularly rural women.
(Source: PMO)
