Last week Erbil hosted for the fourth time the Project Iraq construction trade exhibition, together with the Elenex Iraq energy and electricity show. This year’s construction fair was the largest so far, attracting exhibitors from 20 countries and thousands of visitors.

Project Iraq 2011, the 4th International Trade Exhibition for Construction & Environmental Technology for Iraq, was held concurrently with Elenex Iraq 2011, the first exhibition entirely dedicated to energy, taking place at the Erbil International Fairground from 19-22 September.

At the opening of the exhibitions, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) ministers for Housing and Reconstruction and for Electricity welcomed all the participants. Minister Kamaran Ahmed Abdullah and Minister Yasin Sheikh Abu Bakir Mawati said that they were delighted that the trade shows are betting bigger every year, attracting visitors from all over Iraq.

The speakers at a press conference to launch the trade show included Engineer Nahro A. Assadi, deputy Minister, Ministry of construction & Housing, Mr. Hama Amen Hawramy, Advisor of the Minister of Electricity, Mr. Aziz Abdo, Director General of Trading in the Ministry of Trade and Industry , Mr. Fady Jreissati, representing IFP Iraq, The conference was attended by a number of government representatives, diplomats and business leaders, and enjoyed strong media coverage.

Mr. Jreissati gave an overview of the exhibitions and their importance, praising government efforts towards economic development and accelerated growth all over Iraq and in the Kurdistan region particularly. He expressed his gratitude to the representatives of the Kurdistan Regional Government, in particular the Ministries of Electricity and Construction and Housing, for their support to the company’s events, and commended the management of Erbil International Fairground, proudly underlining its cooperation with IFP Iraq.

Move One has been named the official freight forwarder for both the Erbil Machinex Expo and the Erbil Autoshow. The events, organized by Expotim and Pyramids International, will take place at the Basra International Fair Ground from March 17 – 20.

Erbil Machinex will be the first professional machinery exhibition in Iraq, serving as a key platform for information exchange and exploring new business opportunities with key decision makers, investors, distributors, agents, traders and government officials working in Northern Iraq. Participants include companies active in industries, such as machine tools, light and heavy industrial machinery, welding and gas cutting machines, agricultural machines and many more.

The Autoshow will give regional and overseas auto manufacturers the opportunity to widely promote materials, technology, products and services to experts from the global automotive industry and prospective clients. This exhibition expects over 150 exhibitors and 700 visitors, who will have a chance to meet automotive industry professionals and discover a wide range of vehicles, automotive components, accessories, spare parts, repair and maintenance tools and other related products and services.

Move One is very proud to be an integral part of Iraq’s economic and industrial development. As the official freight forwarder of the conference, Move One will provide exhibitors with a number of services, such as the delivery, handling, storage and customs clearance of their exhibits, containers and other assets.

For professional assistance and quotes, please feel free to contact Monish Boro, Move One’s coordinator for Expotim at monish.boro@moveoneinc.com

For registration to the shows please contact Nazli Candemir, ExpoTim’s event director at nazlicandemir@expotim.com.

With seven strategically located offices in Iraq, Move One has all the necessary skills to handle any logistical requirement. Our extensive local knowledge of the region dates back to 2003 and has helped us build a successful track record in handling everything from small shipments to heavy and over-sized cargo for a variety of customers in the oil and gas industry as well as civil reconstrcution.

For further information about our logistics services in Iraq and the Middle East, please contact Erik Hemphill, Move One’s Regional Manager at erik.hemphill@moveoneinc.com.

Basra Oil & Gas Conference 2010 was held on 26th and 27th of November with the participation of 184 delegates under the theme of “Iraq Effectively Contributes to Future World Energy Supply”.

Attending companies, institutions, universities, and individual delegates were exposed to the present and future status of Iraq’s oil industry, world energy supply and demand outlook 2010-2030, and how effective the role of Iraq’s oil industry will be in the world energy balance. There were also papers in technical, legal, investment & finance, and information technology areas.

Please click here to download a post-event presentation.

Basra International Oil & Gas Conference and Exhibition 2011 will be held in Basra International Fair Ground between 25th – 28th of November 2011. In order to take part in Iraq’s foremost oil & gas exhibition in 2011 and take the advantage of early booking, please contact:

Expotim International Fair Org. INC

info @expotim.com

info @basraoilgas.com

www.basraoilgas.com

www.expotim.com

Tel: +90 212 356 00 56

Fax: +90 212 356 00 96

Baghdad International Fair expects its largest participation since the 2003-U.S. invasion when it starts its 37th session next week, according to a report from Azzaman.

The fair’s director-general, Sadeq Sultan, said the 10-day fair will see 1,200 foreign firms taking part as well 15 foreign countries.

This is quite a change from the 300 companies and 12 countries that were reported just a couple of weeks ago.

“The participation of so many firms and states is beyond our expectations if one bears in mind the political hurdles,” he said.

Sultan said some firms and states, which he did not name, were about to cancel their participation. “The holding of the fair itself was at some point at stake,” he said.

He said the problems facing the formation of a new Iraqi government more than six months after the general elections were among the main obstacles.

Sultan said this year’s session “is outstanding as it managed to attract countries such as France, Japan, Germany, India and Holland.”

He tentatively suggested that both Sweden and Bulgaria have also agreed to be represented.

As for security, Sultan said he had received assurances from the Baghdad Operations Command to safeguard the session, the participants and the visitors.

(Source: Azzaman)

If any Iraq Business News readers attend the event, perhaps you could do a quick count of the exhibitors and let us know if it is closer to 300 or 1,200. Thanks!

Erbil Building Trade Solo Exhibition will be held in Erbil from 3rd to 6th of March 2011 in the Sami Abdulrahman Park Exhibition Centre

Erbil is ready to host building and construction industry professionals in this essential event with its growing market and population of 8 million.

Erbil Building Trade Solo Exhibition is the greatest event in the building industry in the whole region and it will be a meeting point for visitors, trade visitors and international industry members from all over the world.

It is expecting more than 300 exhibitors and 150,000 visitors from a variety countries. Iraq is in need of a full range of infrastructure related products, services and systems, including hospital equipment and supplies, security products, road and rail machinery, oil production equipment and finance and telecom systems.

Work on hundreds of major projects worth $43.5bn – pledged by the interim Iraqi government with funds from Iraq’s own oil revenues – is moving ahead. The amount of investment required for reconstruction of Iraq is estimated $500bn, Iraq Deputy Prime Minister Rafea Al Issawi told a conference in Sharjah in June 2009.

Erbil will host Iraq’s major construction sector trade fair later this month as the country’s demand for private sector housing and infrastructure continues to grow.

The third Project Iraq trade fair will bring together some 300 exhibiting companies from all over the world on 27 – 30 September and is expected to attract 50,000 professional visitors, including project owners, engineers, contractors, traders and officials.

Mr Fady Darwish, General Manager of the exhibition’s organiser IFP Iraq, said, “With some 25 billion (US) dollars in housing projects, 8 billion in transportation and 5.5 billion in water and sewage, the Iraqi government is focusing primarily on reconstruction and rehabilitation. Several new cement plants are being either revamped or erected to satisfy a growing need and major international players are now present. Iraq consumes around 15 million tons of cement yearly with the Iraqi ministry being the largest consumer”. He added, “We have decided to dedicate a standalone show because of the rising need for construction solutions.”

The Kurdistan Regional Government has already attracted both national and foreign investors to build housing and commercial property and industrial facilities in the region, thanks to its very investor-friendly and open investment law, and more construction is needed. The Iraqi government has decided to build 1 million new housing units as part of its 2010-2014 development plan, and estimates that 85% of home building will be carried out by the private sector and foreign investments.

Project Iraq 2010 is held with the support of the Kurdistan Regional Government Ministry of Construction and Housing. Minister Falah Mustafa Bakir, Head of the KRG Department of Foreign Relations, said,”The KRG is pleased to host this event, which not only promotes the development of the Kurdistan Region but also contributes substantively to the reconstruction of all Iraq. The fair is an opportunity for the private sector to engage with the public sector through the provision of know-how and technology.” He added,

“The KRG is committed to its open door policy and we welcome the international participants to consider this an entry point to the Iraqi construction market. I appreciate the efforts of the organizers – citizens and businesses throughout Iraq will benefit from such events.”

More than 150 local and foreign firms will participate in the Basra Construction International Fair that will take place by the end of this month, according to a report from Aswat al-Iraq.

“Most of the participating firms are either foreign or Arab,” said a local source.

The fair will start on Sept. 24th and end on the 27th.

There will be another fair devoted to the oil sector in November.

(Source: Aswat al-Iraq)

2009 was a momentous year for Iraq’s oil and gas sector, for the first time in more than three decades, two bidding rounds took place.  What was on offer?  Development of just some of the countries prized oil and gas fields.

In a country where investment from the world’s IOCs is vital to its development plans for increased production, we saw international majors winning lucrative contracts – marking the starting point of their entry into long term relationships with Iraq.

Announcing Iraq 2010: Future Energy, The Energy Exchange provides the platform for you to meet and do business with top executives and gain insight into the short to medium term development of Iraq’s oil and gas sector.

We are please to announce early confirmed speakers including:

• His Excellency Thamir Al Ghadhban, Chairman, Advisory Committee to the Prime Minister of Iraq, Former Oil Minister
• Michael Townshend, President Iraq, BP
• Dr Abdul Hadi Al Hassani, Vice Chairman of the Oil and Gas Committee, Iraqi Parliament
• Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne, Executive Chairman, IBBC (Iraq Britain Business Council)
• Mounir Bouaziz, Vice President Commercial, New Business, LNG, Middle East and North Africa, Shell EP International

If you are interested in developing your activities and raising your profile within Iraq, then you should join us in Istanbul in September.

Look at some of the key topics to be addressed during Iraq 2010: Future Energy.

CALL FOR PAPERS

Download our ‘call for papers‘ submission form and elevate your profile by joining our specialist Iraq focused oil and gas executives.

If you are keen to discuss how The Energy Exchange’s Iraq 2010: Future Energy event can help you build and make a difference to your business in this new, growing and exciting market, contact:

For joining our thought leader speaker and advisory panels:

Claire Pallen, Director, Middle East Operations
UAE Mob: +971 50 264 1202
Fax: +44 (0) 1242 529 060
Email: c.pallen@theenergyexchange.co.uk

For sponsorship opportunities and heightening your profile within Iraq:

David Ling, Business Development Director, Middle East Operations
Tel: +44 (0)207 067 1864
Fax: +44 (0)207 067 1807
Email: d.ling@theenergyexchange.co.uk

Do not miss out on the opportunity to join us in Istanbul, register your attendance now.