Digital Business Roadmap for SMEs in Iraq
Raad Salih, Harith (2025)
2025
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025060219202
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025060219202
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In recent history Iraq has largely been isolated from the global economic and technological progress, lagging behind in a range of issues like sustainability, infrastructure, internationalization and digitalization. After decades of unrest, however, the 2020’s have marked a shift toward digital transformation in Iraq. The author, having visited Iraq annually since 2021, notes significant advancements in for example legislation, infrastructure rebuilding, housing investment, and increased access to digital services, including online banking. These changes signal a shift towards modernization and economic revitalization across several sectors.
The product-based thesis seeks to create a digital business roadmap for Iraqi small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) hoping to embrace the change and use newly available digital tools and practices to distinguish themselves in the budding digital economy. The proposed roadmap is tailored to the evolving digital business landscape and Iraq’s local business environment. This was achieved by first studying current digital business trends through a literature review, followed by a look at the Iraqi context, with a focus on the opportunities and challenges it presents for SMEs.
Additionally, the thesis addresses the research gap regarding Iraq's economy and business prospects, challenging outdated and polarized perceptions of the country. By providing a more nuanced understanding of Iraq's path towards stability and growth, the thesis contributes to a broader discourse on the region's economic development and the changing narrative surrounding Iraq's potential as a viable market.
The thesis literature review analyzed seven recent publications about digital business success among SMEs, identifying four common themes: 1) Organizational factors and human capital, 2) Technological factors, 3) Environmental factors and 4) Planning a digital strategy. These factors were used as a framework for the creation of the digital business roadmap. Similarly, the study of opportunities and challenges specific to Iraq helped make the roadmap as accurate as possible, enabling it to consider major issues like lacking infrastructure, unreliable internet access, outdated legislation and public services and societal reluctance and challenges to embrace digital technologies. In March 2025 the author took a data gathering trip to Iraq to get an up to date on-the-ground understanding of the current business climate and public opinion. The observations supported the findings in the literature gave extra insight especially into early adopters and consumer habits.
The thesis was produced in January-May 2025, and produced a 20-page actionable and approachable digital business roadmap to be used by Iraqi SMEs themselves as they prepare for digital business transformation.
The product-based thesis seeks to create a digital business roadmap for Iraqi small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) hoping to embrace the change and use newly available digital tools and practices to distinguish themselves in the budding digital economy. The proposed roadmap is tailored to the evolving digital business landscape and Iraq’s local business environment. This was achieved by first studying current digital business trends through a literature review, followed by a look at the Iraqi context, with a focus on the opportunities and challenges it presents for SMEs.
Additionally, the thesis addresses the research gap regarding Iraq's economy and business prospects, challenging outdated and polarized perceptions of the country. By providing a more nuanced understanding of Iraq's path towards stability and growth, the thesis contributes to a broader discourse on the region's economic development and the changing narrative surrounding Iraq's potential as a viable market.
The thesis literature review analyzed seven recent publications about digital business success among SMEs, identifying four common themes: 1) Organizational factors and human capital, 2) Technological factors, 3) Environmental factors and 4) Planning a digital strategy. These factors were used as a framework for the creation of the digital business roadmap. Similarly, the study of opportunities and challenges specific to Iraq helped make the roadmap as accurate as possible, enabling it to consider major issues like lacking infrastructure, unreliable internet access, outdated legislation and public services and societal reluctance and challenges to embrace digital technologies. In March 2025 the author took a data gathering trip to Iraq to get an up to date on-the-ground understanding of the current business climate and public opinion. The observations supported the findings in the literature gave extra insight especially into early adopters and consumer habits.
The thesis was produced in January-May 2025, and produced a 20-page actionable and approachable digital business roadmap to be used by Iraqi SMEs themselves as they prepare for digital business transformation.