Erbil Ranked Among the World's Top 1,000 Cities for Startups

ARK News,, The city of Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region, has maintained its position among the world's top 1,000 cities for supporting startups, retaining its status as the second-strongest ecosystem for entrepreneurship and innovation in Iraq, according to a newly released international report.

The 2026 Startup Blink Global Startup Ecosystem Index, published on Saturday, June 13, 2026, ranked Erbil 932nd globally, while the city successfully preserved its position as Iraq's second-best startup environment since 2025.

At the regional level, Erbil ranked 29th in the Middle East, further strengthening its profile as an emerging hub for business and innovation.

The report noted that Erbil and Baghdad are the only two Iraqi cities to secure places among the world's top 1,000 startup ecosystems. This achievement is seen as a strong indicator of growing entrepreneurial and innovation activity in both cities, despite the broader economic and commercial challenges facing Iraq.

Regarding the national ranking, the report stated that Iraq remains outside the list of the world's top 100 countries for startup ecosystems. However, it classified Iraq as one of the "promising emerging markets" with significant potential to develop its innovation ecosystem in the near future.

The Startup Blink Index is widely regarded as one of the most authoritative global references for evaluating startup ecosystems. It provides annual assessments of startup environments across countries and cities and is frequently used as a benchmark for measuring growth in the digital economy and innovation sectors worldwide.

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