Baghdad: Prime Minister, Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani has reaffirmed the government’s support for projects that employ automation and digital transformation to serve scientific research and preserve documents and information.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, Al-Sudani inaugurated the Iraqi Digital Library Project on Saturday in the capital, Baghdad. In a speech delivered at the inauguration ceremony, the Prime Minister said the project represents a significant scientific landmark that serves the present and paves the way for future knowledge, by providing documents and information in a reliable, fully archived digital format that is easy to access and retrieve.

He explained that the digital library will preserve Iraq’s intellectual, scientific, cultural, literary, and media output, making it available to researchers and scholars through an integrated digital system based on the latest globally adopted technologies and equipment. Al-Sudani noted that the project is considered a pioneering initiative, being the first of its kind in Iraq, the seventh worldwide, and the third in the region. He added that the library was designed in accordance with international standards, and that preparations are underway to launch the second phase of the project, which includes equipping the library with a comprehensive digital transformation system.

The Prime Minister renewed the government’s commitment to supporting projects that keep pace with technological advancement, praising the efforts of all those involved in completing the project, as well as the role of the Ministry of Culture in promoting the cultural and research sectors. He stressed that economic, industrial, and developmental progress cannot be achieved without a parallel intellectual and scientific renaissance led by well-established cultural institutions. He also highlighted Iraq’s growing role in knowledge dissemination, noting that the ‘Study in Iraq’ initiative has attracted more than 11,000 applicants from 55 countries.

Al-Sudani said the success of the initiative reflects increasing confidence in Iraq at the academic, cultural, and security levels, adding that the National Digital Library will serve as a key resource for international students and researchers, alongside the government’s comprehensive reconstruction and development campaigns, including the rehabilitation of Baghdad and historic and heritage cities.