Economic Council: Broad interest from regional and international companies to participate in the Iraq Investment Forum

Iraqi Economic Council Chairman Ibrahim Al-Masoudi Al-Baghdadi affirmed on Friday that Iraq has become a destination for investment in the Middle East, thanks to the government's extensive support for investment and investors. Addressing the Iraq Investment Forum, he revealed widespread interest from regional and international companies to participate, noting that more than 250 investment opportunities will be showcased.

Al-Baghdadi told the Iraqi News Agency (INA): “This explains the change and geopolitical orientation towards Iraq, which has today become the investment destination in the Middle East,” noting that “just a year ago, we were facing great difficulty in inviting investors to attend conferences or forums inside Iraq, but today there is a widespread desire from important companies and countries from the Gulf, the Middle East, Europe, America and Arab countries to participate in the Iraq Investment Forum scheduled to be held on June 14 and 15.”

He added, "There is growing demand due to the abundance of quality and profitable opportunities, especially since Iraq has lived through long years of war, siege, and terrorism, creating an urgent need for all types of projects. Today, we are beginning to see the results of the hard work and efforts of the past years."

He explained, "Today's investor is looking for an unsaturated market. For example, building a five-star hotel in Dubai means competing with 650 hotels of the same category, while Iraq currently needs approximately 60 hotels, according to the Minister of Culture, Tourism, and Antiquities. This provides a golden opportunity for any investor to operate in an environment virtually devoid of competition."

Al-Baghdadi pointed out that "Iraq is the largest market in the region, and its environment has become attractive to investments," predicting that "the next ten to twenty years will witness Iraqi superiority in investment competition with countries in the region."

Regarding the Iraq Investment Forum, Al-Baghdadi explained that "the forum will showcase more than 250 investment opportunities, including 150 direct opportunities, 31 of which are in the electricity sector, and more than 15 in the oil sector, in addition to dozens of opportunities in industry, agriculture, transportation, information technology, industrial cities, and free zones." He noted that "the Ministry of Industry will showcase 97 opportunities within the partnership mechanism with its companies."

He explained that "these projects will contribute to creating thousands of job opportunities, and may reach hundreds of thousands in the coming years, as part of the National Investment Commission's plans  link