Through logistics operations, technology development, business growth support, and real commercial partnerships, I’ve had a front-row seat to how Iraq’s delivery and e-commerce ecosystem
By Mujahed Waisi, Co-Founder of Hi-Express
Since 2004, my career in the private sector has evolved alongside Iraq’s digital and commercial landscape. I started as a freelance web designer, then moved through key operational and entrepreneurial experiences across media, technology, events, and business building. Over the years, this journey took me deep into logistics—first as an investor, later as a founder—and into close collaboration with a wide range of e-commerce platforms, beauty brands, consumer startups, marketplaces, and independent merchants, both local and international.
Through logistics operations, technology development, business growth support, and real commercial partnerships, I’ve had a front-row seat to how Iraq’s delivery and e-commerce ecosystem actually works—not how it’s described from the outside.
That experience led me to one core conclusion.
What Really Controls Iraq’s Delivery & E-Commerce Market
The biggest force shaping Iraq’s delivery and e-commerce market is not the app, not the company, and not even capital.
The real controller is the operating model that organically emerged from the market itself.
The sector began in a very simple form: individual couriers delivering orders for merchants or page owners. Over time, this evolved into small offices, then delivery companies, and eventually provincial agents operating across cities and regions.
Most of this growth happened without structured operating systems, often without formal registration, and frequently without clear contracts. In many cases, guarantees were verbal, based on promissory notes, or built purely on personal relationships rather than institutional processes.
For many years, the courier became the center of power in the ecosystem—controlling speed, quality, cash flow, and ultimately the customer experience.
A Lesson from Ride-Hailing in Iraq
At the same time, Iraq witnessed a successful transformation in another sector: ride-hailing.
In 2017, it was rare for a taxi driver to accept working through an app. Today, drivers understand customer experience, ratings, and accountability. A five-star rating translates into rewards, while poor ratings lead to penalties or suspension. This change was not cosmetic—it fundamentally reshaped behavior.
The same shift happened with motorcycle couriers. Public perception improved because the system itself changed.
However, in last-mile delivery for e-commerce, the courier is still operating under an outdated model that no longer matches the scale of the market or modern customer expectations.
Why the Last Mile Still Struggles
The core reason is structural.
The market has been built on aggressive price competition and cash-flow pressure. Margins are thin, and most delivery companies simply cannot invest meaningfully in courier training, quality control, or real customer experience.
As a result, improvement becomes incremental rather than transformational.
Building a New Operating Standard
At Hi-Express, we started with one fundamental question:
How do we build a new school of logistics in Iraq?
Not just a better tool—but a better operating culture.
Our first step was launching the Captain Academy, built around continuous training, direct customer feedback, and a real five-star evaluation system tied to performance.
Today, approximately 40% of our orders receive direct feedback from end customers, representing a very high customer feedback rate by Iraqi market standards.
This data allows us to:
The impact has been clear—especially as we serve brands that require higher operational standards, such as temperature-controlled delivery, BNPL workflows with OTP verification, and service expectations that go far beyondtraditional courier models.
The Cost of Change—and Why It’s Necessary
One of the hardest challenges we faced was resistance to change from couriers themselves.
Recently, we had to revise operating mechanisms, enforce stricter contracts, replace a fleet in one of our zones, onboard new talent, and gradually align the remaining couriers with the new model.
This was not done for the sake of disruption, but because the market urgently needs clearer rules, higher standards, and professional accountability.
No Single Company Can Fix the Market Alone
One of the most important convictions we’ve reached is that no single player can fix Iraq’s logistics market alone.
Sustainable progress requires cooperation between companies that genuinely want to raise quality, operate professionally, and build long-term value.
That’s why we’ve started forming strategic and operational partnerships—supporting other delivery companies and being supported in return, without ego, and with a shared commitment to execution quality.
Why This Matters for Merchants
For merchants and brands looking at Iraq, the opportunity is real.
This is a market processing over 700,000 orders per day, with strong growth momentum, a population that is increasingly comfortable with digital commerce, and customers who are actively demanding better service.
Iraq is also a market of 46 million consumers, where millions of global products have yet to enter—not because of demand issues, but because logistics readiness has lagged behind commercial ambition.
Finally
The road ahead is not easy, but it is increasingly clear.
Those who build from inside the market—who understand its operational realities rather than just its surface metrics—will be the ones shaping its future.
Personally, I remain deeply committed to continuous improvement, alongside a team of exceptional talents and operators.
It’s a challenging journey—but one that is absolutely worth taking.
Explosive Daily Order Volume: The market size is substantial and active. Recent data indicates that scheduled orders have reached 700,000 per day
