Under the slogan “Baghdad – Work for Work,” the Iraqi-American Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IACCI) is sponsoring a conference and fair to review the rebuilding process of Iraq.
IACCI's new activity, started on February 15, 2008, at Al-Rasheed Hotel in Baghdad (International Zone), aims at providing a business environment, for Iraqi and international companies, suitable for negotiations and deals.
On May 2003, IACCI was formed in Los Angeles (LA), California, U.S., as a non-profit organization keen to develop Iraqi businessmen, and to provide job opportunities in Iraq on the way to establish an open-market system in that country. The IACCI currently has 10735 members, 3 offices in Iraq (Baghdad, Arbil, and Sulaimaniya), and 2 offices out of Iraq (Amman – Jordan, and San Diego (California) – U.S.)
Executive manager of IACCI, Raad Omar, said to Aswat al-Iraq – Voices of Iraq – (VOI) "Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, and it plays a great role in the stability of this country," explaining "The first fair that the IACCI held in Iraq was in Arbil (capital city of Iraqi Kurdistan region) in 2005, and then in Sulaimaniya (Kurdistan) in 2006 and 2007." He added, "In 2007, 600 companies from Baghdad and Kurdistan attended that fair, and many of them were able to sign contracts."
Regarding the aims of the 2008 IACCI fair, Omar told VOI "Through this fair, we are trying to provide a suitable environment for Iraqi and foreign companies to meet in Baghdad," explaining "190 out of the 250 companies that participate in the 2008 IACCI fair are Iraqi companies," adding "Different Iraqi Ministries will submit 66 road-maps to this fair, which is the first of IACCI in Baghdad, but not the last, as I hope."
It wasn't easy for IACCI to hold its 2008 fair and conference in Baghdad, but "The Iraqi government helped us, and we hope that this fair will contribute to the economic progress in Iraq," Omar asserted to VOI. He clarified "New contracts mean employing more people, minimizing the unemployment effects on Iraqi society, and helping to accelerate security stability in Iraq," referring "Foreign companies came here to Baghdad for one reason, to sign contracts with Iraqi companies and end-users."
Concerning future plans of IACCI, Omar said to VOI "This fair is the first step of IACCI in the Iraqi capital – Baghdad, and we have plans to rehabilitate some buildings within Baghdad International Airport to have a showroom side by side with a hotel there, so that size of subsequent fairs of IACCI in Baghdad would be larger, a matter that allows a greater participation for Iraqi companies."
From his side, Majid Foad, deputy head of the IACCI, told VOI "This fair and conference (Baghdad – Work for Work) is considered the first in Baghdad. The conference aims to introduce companies to each other, reinforce ties between Iraqi and foreign companies via investment contracts, and rehabilitate the infrastructure of Baghdad that requires a lot of work," adding "Security stability in Baghdad encouraged us to proceed with this big project."
Merriam Al-Rayess, counselor to Iraqi Premier Nouri Al-Maliki, attended the opening of the 2008 IACCI fair in Baghdad. "Definitely, it is a fabulous step, because since 2003, all fairs have been held outside of Baghdad," Al-Rayess told VOI, referring "Many Iraqi official figures were surprised to see all these products in this fair, and to have all this demand on the Iraqi products," hoping that "next fairs would be on the heels of the Baghdad International Fair, because there a greater Iraqi audience will be attracted."
Director General of Ibn Sina state-owned company, Dr. Moayed Gassid, said to VOI "We came to the 2008 IACCI fair with hopes to have strategic partnerships with the companies participating in this fair," adding "In addition to developing some of the products that Ibn Sina Company currently produces."
Head of the Iraqi Organization for Solving Disputes, Ahmed Shiaa Al-Baraq, assessed the 2008 IACCI fair and conference, saying to VOI "This fair is crucial for Iraq within this domain," explaining "Since the Iraqi government and parliament have devoted year 2008 to the rebuilding process in Iraq, the presence of Iraqi and international companies in Baghdad is an impulse to initiate this mission. Having this conference itself in Baghdad reinforces the stability of security in this city."
Representative of Businessmen’s Center at Baghdad International Airport, Ali Ahmed, said to VOI in an optimistic tone, "We hope that all coming fairs would be held in Baghdad, and to be magnets that attract businessmen, from any place in the world, in order to enhance the economy of Iraq and respond to the compelling demands of average Iraqis."
