Focused
Growth
in Iraq’s
Key Cities
Our Reach
Target Cities & Communities
Iraq is a country of diverse regions and communities. To effectively spread the gaming hobby culture, Majestic Heights has a targeted outreach strategy focusing on key cities where interest and impact will be highest. Here’s our roadmap:
Erbil – Cosmopolitan and Youthful
Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region, is known for its relative stability and openness to global culture. It’s a tourist destination and hosts international fairs like HITEX (a big tech expo). The city has a high concentration of universities, expatriates, and returning diaspora – all of whom appreciate global hobbies. Erbil already sports a couple of gaming cafés and hobby shops (small but significant as pioneers in Iraq). For example, one local shop has even started stocking modern board games and promoting them in Kurdish and English on social media. We plan to collaborate and bolster these efforts: possibly through a Kurdish-language outreach team, and by sponsoring events (like a board game weekend at Erbil’s malls, or a booth at HITEX featuring our games). Erbil’s population is eager to try new things, making it an ideal incubator for our programs that can later roll out country-wide.
Najaf & Karbala – Family and Community Hubs
Najaf and Karbala are holy cities with significant populations and many visitors. The culture here is more family-centric and traditional, but that aligns well with certain games. For instance, educational toys, puzzle games, and family board games can be very appealing as wholesome family entertainment (an alternative to TV and mobile for kids). We intend to reach out to community centers and schools in these cities. One plan is to partner with local youth organizations to introduce after-school board game clubs, which can be pitched as both fun and skill-building. We also foresee interest in collectibles tied to history or culture (for example, figurines, historical model kits) doing well in these heritage-rich cities. Our approach in Najaf and Karbala will be through trusted local partners – we’ll likely work with existing bookstores or toy stores to carve out “game corners,” and provide training so that staff there can demo games to curious families.
Baghdad – The Capital of Change
As the capital with nearly 9 million people, Baghdad will host our flagship store and main office. The city’s urban youth are often the trendsetters. From the universities in Jadriyah to the bustling shops of Al Mansour, Baghdad has clusters of young people, students, and young professionals looking for new leisure activities. We plan to tap into existing communities – like the video gaming cafes and comic/anime fan circles – to introduce board game nights and card game tourneys. With the largest population, Baghdad also gives us the biggest retail footprint and event turnout. We envision weekly events in Baghdad: Friday night Magic: The Gathering drafts, family board game afternoons, chess and backgammon championships (bridging old and new). Being based in Baghdad also means we’re centrally located to ship products across the country efficiently.
Basra – Gateway to the Gulf
Basra, Iraq’s second largest city and economic hub in the south, is a key market for us. Basra has a young population with increasing disposable income thanks to the oil industry. Culturally, its proximity to Kuwait and the Gulf states means Basrawis are exposed to GCC trends – we’ve noticed many Basra families already shopping in Kuwait or Dubai for toys and games that weren’t available at home. We aim to open a branch or partner with retailers in Basra to catch this demand. Basra’s people have a strong tradition of social gatherings (evening outings along the Shatt al-Arab, etc.), so we’ll encourage local cafés to host game nights. Also, being a port city, Basra will be a logistics entry point for some of our shipments – a plus for getting products in quickly.
Mosul – Tradition and Tomorrow
Mosul has a large population of youth and has been rebuilding energetically in recent years. We have contacts with NGOs and educational initiatives in Mosul that focus on community recovery – we believe introducing hobbies and games can be part of positive youth engagement post-conflict. We plan periodic pop-up events in Mosul (e.g., a “Fun Festival” day with game booths) to test the waters, with the aim of establishing a permanent presence if response is good.
Sulaymaniyah – Creative & Academic Scene
Sulaymaniyah, another major city in the Kurdistan Region, is known for its universities, art scene, and forward-thinking youth. Home to the American University of Iraq and other colleges, Suly (as it’s often called) has a high concentration of students who might love modern tabletop games (think Dungeons & Dragons nights or strategy game meetups). In fact, academic circles in Sulaimani have already shown interest in games as culture – the University of Sulaimani endorsed the revival of the ancient Game of Ur project as a cultural heritage activity. We intend to open a small hobby hub in Suly, possibly in partnership with a café or bookstore, where we provide the games and training, and the partner provides space and management. Sulaymaniyah’s youth are generally tech-savvy, multilingual, and connected to global trends, so we anticipate good uptake of things like TCG tournaments and model kit workshops there.
