Asiacell and NewsSocial Launch Iraq's First National AI Ecosystem in Iraqi Universities Under Direct Government Supervision

Baghdad - January 2026

Asiacell Telecommunications and the NewsSocial cooperative organization today announced the launch of a long-term strategic partnership, under the supervision of the Iraqi government, to build an advanced national artificial intelligence ecosystem in Iraq under the name “Manara”. The initiative begins with the project “Smart Knowledge Systems and Artificial Intelligence in Iraqi Universities”, which is being closely followed by His Excellency the Prime Minister and directly overseen by the Office of the Prime Minister’s Advisor for Scientific, Academic Affairs and Artificial Intelligence.

From the standpoint that universities are “fundamental tools for economic development,” Asiacell and NewsSocial are working to place Iraqi universities at the heart of a national AI project—one that links the development of a knowledge-based economy with Iraq’s digital sovereignty and contributing to shaping an Arab AI industry with a global impact.

The project is overseen jointly by the Supreme Advisory Council, the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Asiacell, and the NewsSocial Cooperative. Through this structure, the initiative combines top-level government decision-making, academic expertise, cooperative technological capacity, and the national telecommunications and data infrastructure.

The project aims to deploy the CAIR system (Circular AI Knowledge & Resources Systems) in Iraqi universities and gradually interconnect them into a national network encompassing up to 100 universities and research centers. The ecosystem is based on:

• Full national hosting within Asiacell’s smart data centers, ensuring digital sovereignty and preventing academic data from leaving Iraq.
• The use of advanced AI and computing platforms that support Arabic, Kurdish, and English, and are scalable for the future development of national language models.
• The CAIR human–machine collaboration ecosystem, in which AI becomes an active participant in the research and education cycle—not a replacement for humans.
• The DAIR advanced digitalization system, capable of ingesting hundreds of documents at once and converting them into searchable and analyzable content—enabling major national initiatives such as the “Iraq’s National Memory” and the National Academic Memory project.

This initiative is not only limited to upgrading university infrastructure; it also lays the foundation for building an Iraqi AI industry by:

• Enabling researchers, students, and startups to access deep scientific content in their own languages.
• Developing a new generation of AI engineers and researchers within Iraqi universities.
• Creating AI services that can be exported to other countries in the region and the Global South.
• Linking the “Iraq’s National Memory” project to the university environment, thereby making modern history a source for developing Arabic language models rooted in the local culture.

This way, Iraq transitions from being a consumer of technology to a producer of knowledge and AI solutions—and a global partner in the knowledge economy from a Global South perspective.

The project marks a qualitative transformation in the role of Iraqi universities; from traditional educational institutions into core drivers of the digital economy, centers for knowledge and AI production, and linking scientific research directly to the needs of the state and society.

Commenting on the partnership, Mr. Farouk Mustafa Rasool, Chairman and Founder of Asiacell Telecommunications, said:

“The role of telecom companies is no longer limited to providing communications infrastructure; rather, building the infrastructure for knowledge and artificial intelligence has become part of our national responsibility. We want Asiacell’s smart data centers to serve as a platform for launching a new future for Iraqi youth—not merely a traditional operational facility.”

Dr. Ali Al-Aasam, Founder and Director of the NewsSocial Cooperative, said:

“NewsSocial developed the CAIR and DAIR systems to reshape the relationship between humans and machines on the basis of cooperation and service to society. Our partnership with Asiacell and the Iraqi government enables us to apply this model at the national level, connect it to strategic initiatives such as the Iraq’s National Memory, and build Arabic and Kurdish language models rooted in Iraqi knowledge.”

Prof. Dr. Haider Abd Dhahd, Deputy Minister of Higher Education for Scientific Affairs, confirmed:

“We are working at a clear pace to integrate the capabilities of the public and private sectors in developing Iraq’s digital and knowledge economy, in line with the Iraqi government’s vision for digital transformation and making Iraq a safe and sustainable digital environment. This project also comes as a strategic extension of efforts made to preserve national history and knowledge through systematic digital documentation of Iraqi culture and scientific output within universities.”

Prof. Dr. Dhiaa Al-Jumaili, the Prime Minister’s advisor for Scientific and Academic Affairs and Artificial Intelligence, noted:

“Iraq’s AI strategy is not based on importing ready-made solutions, but rather on building national capabilities and linking academic knowledge to the real economy. This project represents a major practical step in this direction. It is also a natural complement to the project of preserving history and knowledge; digital documentation of Iraqi culture, history and knowledge, and connecting the national memory to modern university and research ecosystem.”

Asiacell and the NewsSocial Cooperative are laying the foundation for a long-term strategic partnership that positions Iraqi universities as a central pillar in building an advanced knowledge economy, opening the door for Iraq to become an influential player in shaping the future of artificial intelligence in the region and the world—and serve as a beacon for cooperation among Global South countries in this vital field.