His Excellency Dr Khalaf Samad Khalaf (pictured), Governor of Basrah, is guest of honour at IBBC’s Iraq Day Conference at London’s Mansion House on May 17th 2012 attended also by executives from the world’s leading corporations including major oil and construction companies.

As rising oil sales supercharge the Iraqi economy Dr Khalaf’s keynote address will outline business opportunities in the Basrah region for Western firms.

Delegates will hear millions of new homes are being planned along with highways, hospitals, schools, power plants, airports, ports and sports stadiums.

In short: contracts worth millions of dollars are up for grabs.

Other keynote speakers include former NATO Secretary General, Lord Robertson of Port Ellen, British Minister of State for Universities and Science, Rt.Hon. David Willetts MP and IBBC Executive Chairman Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne.

Companies sending delegates include: Aegis, AMEC, Basrah Engineering, BP, CCC,Chevron, Clyde & Co, Control Risks, Dome Group, ExxonMobil, Fluor Ltd, Foster Wheeler, G4S, Gulfsands, KBR, KCA Deutag, Kier, Mott MacDonald, Olive Group, Petrofac, PwC, Shell, SKA International, South Oil Company, Trinity Group, Vitol, Weir Group and Wood Group.

Other delegations include: UK Trade and Investment, The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, UK Export Finance ECGD, UK Border Agency, Basrah Chamber of Commerce and Basrah Business Council, Embassy of the Republic of Iraq, London.

Pathfinder Trade & Invest (PTi) with the support of the Kurdistan Regional Government and UKTI, invite you to join a High Level Trade Mission from the 17th– 21st June to Erbil.

This Mission will be of interest to those companies in the following sectors: Financial services and Insurance, Education and Training, Construction and Construction Supplies, Infrastructure development, Healthcare, Energy and Oil, IT and Telecoms, Agriculture. Iraqi Kurdistan has for many years remained peaceful and is now rapidly becoming a major destination for British Exports as well as a major gateway for traders serving the whole of Iraq.

The Mission has been timed to coincide with the Iraq Finance & Investment Conference, which will be an excellent opportunity to meet with important businessmen. The mission has the full support of UKTI and our British Embassy Consulate in Erbil with whom a commercial briefing will be arranged. Match making roundtables with leading local Businessmen and the Chamber of Commerce are also to be held.

The Kurdistan re-birth as a prosperous, democratic and economic area is a triumph of the determination of its peoples. Kurdistan has been one of the clear success stories of Iraq and the opportunities are just beginning, aided by the stable security situation.

The two day Financial Services Conference at the Saad Palace Conference Center, Erbil – see www.ifi2012.com – will bring together for the first time in Erbil, heads of Iraqi Financial, Investment and Insurance Institutions and business owners, with the international and regional industry experts and stakeholders. There will also be business to business and business to Government networking opportunities both at the Conference and with the local Chambers of Commerce.

Leading the Mission will be Michael Thomas, CEO – PTi who has travelled extensively throughout the area and pioneered the first trade mission to the region six years ago and has since successfully headed up both trade and bespoke Missions to Kurdistan.

For further information and to receive a prospectus containing full details of the Mission, the draft programme and costs, please contact PTi’s Mission Managers via: pathfinder@ctgrouptravel.co.uk

Pathfinder Trade & Invest (PTi) invite you to attend a Kurdistan Business Seminar kindly sponsored by DLA Piper UK LLP at their offices situated at 3 Noble Street, London EC2V 7EE, on 28th May 2012 from 10.00 am to 12.30 pm.

Whilst many events in the Middle East have cast a shadow over the region, Iraqi Kurdistan is proving to be a remarkable success story with great ambitions for the future. There are clearly excellent opportunities for British businesses in all sectors, but particularly Construction and infrastructure, oil and gas, financial services and education and training. Iraqi Kurdistan has for many years remained peaceful and is now rapidly becoming a major destination for British Exports as well as a major gateway for traders serving the whole of Iraq.

Opening addresses will be given by Bayan Sami Abdul Rahman,The High Representative, Kurdistan Regional Government, Lord Clement-Jones CBE, London Managing Partner, DLA Piper UK LLP, and Michael Thomas, CEO – Pathfinder Trade and Invest Ltd, who has just returned from Iraqi Kurdistan. This will be followed by a panel of leading businessmen/women, representing key industry sectors and currently operating in Iraqi Kurdistan.

They will discuss opportunities for doing business in the Kurdistan region and delegates will have ample opportunity for questions, as well as to meet with senior representatives of the Kurdistan regional Government.

Registration and programme details are available from:

carol@pathfindertradeandinvest.com

A registration fee of £45.00 +VAT (£54.00) is payable to cover administration and marketing.

A large delegation of US Congressional staff visited the Kurdistan Region last week to meet with government officials, local businesses and schools, and to get a first hand view of how US-KRG relations can be further developed and improved.

“This was the first Congressional staff delegation of its kind and size to the Kurdistan Region,” said a member of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Representation office in the US. “The delegation visited all three Kurdistan provinces, gaining a thorough understanding of theregion and how the US business community is a true partner in its development.”

Commenting on the delegation’s visit to the Region, the Head of the KRG Department of Foreign Relations Minister Falah Mustafa said, “The political, institutional and developmental success of Kurdistan is a shining example of what can be achieved through the pursuit of our shared values with the United States. We have a long history with the US, and we believe that greater commercial, cultural and educational exchange between us is long overdue.”

While in Erbil the Congressional staff met with local representatives of the newly established United States-Kurdistan Business Council (USKBC) in order to both hear and see first-hand how US investment is at work in Kurdistan.

The delegation received an insightful briefing from US Consul General Alex Laskaris during the visit, and spent an afternoon at the campus of the American University of Iraq – Suleimani (AUIS), holding informative talks with both the students and faculty there. The group also had good exchanges with Christian leaders based in Kurdistan during their stay.

The bipartisan delegation included senior staff of ten Congressional offices, from both the Senate and the House of Representatives.

The delegation was also received by KRG ministers and officials including: President Barzani’s Chief of Staff Dr Fuad Hussein; Minister Falah Mustafa; Minister of Education Dr Asmat Khalid, and Chairman of the Investment Board, Minister Herish Muharam.

(Source: KRG)

By Michael Aron, Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Iraq. This article was originally published by Rudaw, and is re-published with permission by Iraq Business News.

Rather than the usual one or two day visit to Erbil, I have just spent a week in Kurdistan Region travelling to Suleymaniya, Dohuk, Soran and Shanidar. What a country; a land blessed with breathtaking mountain views, hydrocarbons, fertile plains, fast-flowing rivers, a deep and remarkable history and, more important than all of that, a resourceful, determined and tolerant people thirsting for international exchanges. All around me as I travelled and spoke to people I heard about change, progress and optimism for the future.

Iraq over the last few decades has been broadly inward looking; Kurdistan which has had more than its fair share of isolation is now determinedly outward looking. That is the mark of a confident society and body politic and surely in this globalised world a necessary ingredient for sustainable growth. It was good to see Iraq generally more confident and outward looking following the successful Arab League Summit in Baghdad.

I heard this confidence in a series of discussions Chris, our Consul General in Erbil and I had with students in Suleymaniya, Dohuk and Soran. Judging by the students we met, Kurdistan Region will have a vibrant and dynamic future. And so, I am thrilled that UK seems to be Kurds’ partner of choice for higher education. I was able to open the new centre for language and academic development in Soran. The centre is jointly run with University College, Plymouth. Soran and Plymouth had their first discussions in June 2011. Only ten months later the centre was opened. That shows the ambition and energy of Soran and the responsiveness of UK higher education.

It looks as if Bristol University’s groundbreaking collaboration with Suleymaniya on researching and reducing gender based violence will continue for another three years. Kurdish society is at its best and bravest when it tackles head-on such difficult issues.

The British Business Group (BBG) Joint Committee in conjunction with UKTI cordially invites you to the Regal Ballroom at St Regis, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, 15th May 2012, @ 9am

The Joint Committee of the British Business Groups in the UAE (Abu Dhabi and Dubai), with the support of UKTI, is engaged in initiatives designed to promote opportunities for British business in the wider Middle East/Africa Region.

This Iraqi Event is one such initiative of the Joint Committee, which was established last year with the encouragement of British and UAE Government and business interests. These interests recognise that the UAE is a point of entry to a very large market and that many UAE-based companies have a remit to exploit that market from here. The conference will enable businesses to learn about the opportunities from those with the knowledge.

The conference will be opened by H.E. Dominic Jermey, the British Ambassador. Others will address the business opportunities available in Iraq, covering Irbil, Baghdad and Basra, and how to take advantage of them.

Speakers will include Iraq-based representatives of UKTI, lawyers, bankers, security consultants and other professionals with direct experience of business in Iraq and, it is hoped, representatives of the Iraqi administration. There will also be a panel discussion with companies already doing business in Iraq.

After lunch there will be the opportunity for one to one sessions with the speakers and panel members.

Please see the attached Invitation and Conference programme for more information. To register for this event please complete the attached booking form and return to events@bbgauh01.ae

Please click here to download conference program.

The Middle East Association, in partnership with Eversheds LLP, is holding a seminar in London entitled “Doing Business In Iraq: Establishing A Presence And Staying Within The Law”. This seminar will take place on Tuesday 26th June, from 16:30 until 18:30.

Iraq’s recent history has been dominated by conflicts and economic sanctions. But the country is on the rise once more and there are many investment opportunities available. How can you make the most of these opportunities by avoiding major pitfalls, working within local laws and understanding the business culture?

This free seminar will give you the information and ideas you need. Aimed at in-house lawyers, directors, business advisers and government officials, this is your chance to get advice direct from our experts on the ground.

Our speaker line-up comprises:

• Michael Hodges, Chairman, Middle East Association and Business Development Director MENA Region, HSBC (Chair)
• John Kemkers, Partner, Eversheds
• Tawfiq Tabaa, Partner, Sanad Law Group in Association with Eversheds
• William Wakeham, CEO, AAIB Insurance Brokers

The seminar will cover the crucial legal areas in relation to doing business in Iraq. You will also take part in a Q&A session to get the answers you need and network with participants who share your interest in business in Iraq.

The areas we will cover include:

• foreign investment
• company registration
• agency and distribution laws
• enforcing contracts in Iraq
• litigation/arbitration

For those unable to make this event in London, “Doing Business in Iraq” will also be taking place in Dubai on 16th June. Please contact Victoria Toy at Eversheds for more details.

There are a limited number of places available for this free event. If you would like to attend, please return the application form attached to Chris Moses at the Middle East Association by the closing date of Friday 1st June. Successful applicants will be informed on Tuesday 5th June of event location and details. For any questions, please contact chris.moses@the-mea.co.uk.

Britain’s Ambassador to Iraq on Friday concluded a one-week visit to the Kurdistan Region by meetingwith President Masoud Barzani and Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani. He visited all three of the Region’s governorates, meeting students, officials and civil society representatives.

Ambassador Michael Aron met with Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) officials and visited all three provinces of the Kurdistan Region to discuss the ongoing political crisis in Iraq as well as recent developments inthe Middle East as a whole. He also explored how to further develop the already strong links between the United Kingdom and the Kurdistan Region.

In his meeting with President Barzani, the British Ambassador said that he was impressed by the economic and educational progress taking place in Kurdistan, saying that the KRG’s policies have clearly helped encourage business development and an influx of foreign investment in the Region.

President Barzani welcomed the Ambassador and thanked him for the important contributions of the British people and government toward the ongoing development of Kurdistan.

Both sides discussed the current political crisis in Iraq,and the President clarified the KRG’s position on various issues related to it, emphasising the importance of adhering to the Iraqi constitution in order to ensure that Iraq does not return to its dictatorial past.

Ambassador Aron also met newly inaugurated Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani, to talk about strengthening bilateral relations, and about Kurdistan’s role in the changes happening throughout the Middle East.

Discussing areas of mutual cooperation in the meeting, the Head of the KRG Department of Foreign Relations Minister Falah Mustafa said,“We are pleased with our close relationship with the people and government ofthe United Kingdom. Many of our students are now earning graduate degrees in Britain, and we welcome more British companies and entrepreneurs to come and share their experience and expertise with us as well.”

The British Ambassador said that he was pleased to have the opportunity to see so much of the Region, saying that he particularly enjoyed visiting local universities and speaking with students there.

The British Consul General in Erbil Chris Bowers, who accompanied the Ambassador on his visit, spoke about the various projects that the UK government is supporting and promoting, and the involvement of British businesses in the Region as well.

British companies continue to be active and well represented in the Kurdistan Region, and more than half of the current scholarship recipients from the KRG’s 100 million US dollar Human Capacity Development Programme (HCDP) are pursuing their postgraduate studies at universities in the UK.

The British Ambassador also met the Minister for the Interior Karim Sinjari, Minister of Natural Resources Dr Ashti Hawrami, Minister of Higher Education & Scientific Research Dr Ali Saeed, the President’s Chief of Staff Dr Fuad Hussein, as well as other officials and representatives.

(Source: KRG)