News & Analysis
'Destination Baghdad Expo' described as a symbol of 'Iraq Grand Opening'
By By Ruba Saqr
Jan 30, 2004, 09:29

'Destination Baghdad Expo' described as a symbol of 'Iraq Grand Opening'

By Ruba Saqr


AMMAN — Officials from the Coalition Provisional Authority in Baghdad (CPA) announced on Monday plans to kickstart soon the first trade show in Iraq on reconstruction of the war-battered country, terming the expo as a symbol of "Iraq Grand Opening."

Dubbed "Destination Baghdad Expo" (DBX), the fair is an initiative by the Iraqi-American Chamber of Commerce and Trade (IACC) to bring together the international private-sector business community with the Iraqi subcontractors and ministries.

At a press conference on Monday, CPA's Private Sector Development Managing Director Michael Fleischer said the time was ripe for Iraqi reconstruction meetings to move to Iraq, referring implicitly to the OUTREACH 2004 exhibition now taking place in Amman .

Hundreds of international companies are taking part in the exhibition along with 500 individuals, 200 of whom are Iraqis. They are meeting in hopes to create business partnerships for rebuilding Iraq.

"It is time now for Iraqis to step into leadership roles" and its time for "Iraq's Grand Opening," Fleischer told reporters. "A symbol of this grand opening is the Baghdad DBX show."

Fleischer added: "This show will send a worldwide message that Iraq is open to business, and it will demonstrate the commitment and the energy of the Iraqi private sector to do its part in Iraq."

The trade fair which organisers hope will attract some 6,000-8,000 participants to Baghdad, 90 per cent of whom are from abroad, was delayed for a month "because of the high interest from the United States," Reuters reported.

It would now open in early April instead of an earlier planned date on March 1-4. The expo is expected to take place in Baghdad International Fairgrounds in Mansour and all participants in the BDX will be prequalified and registered ahead of the opening of the fair.

On the issue of security in light of the sabotage and looting activities in Iraq, Retired US Navy Admiral David Nash, director of the CPA's Programme Management Office, said lack of security "will not stop us from building."

Nash added the Baghdad fair is mainly designed to lend support to Iraqi subcontractors working under international companies to rebuild their country.

IACC President Raad Ommar said the DBX is expected to feature a majority of private exhibitors as well as all Iraqi ministries in sectors pertaining to construction, agriculture and food, IT and computers, healthcare, environmental systems, airports and port equipment, security, education, petroleum, power generation and transfer, and life-style products.

"The only way we can fight unemployment is through job creation through the private sector. No government in the world can do that," Ommar said.

Robert Connan, Director of the Baghdad Business Centre, remarked that "for many American companies it will be the very first time ever to enter into Iraq, and it's important to be on the ground to be able to find partnerships and really assess what the potential is going to be."

Official numbers indicate that the unemployment rate in Iraq is around 22 per cent but unofficial figures put the rate at 57 per cent, according to Fleischer.

According to 2003 statistics, the Iraqi population stands at 23.3 million. The number of Iraqis killed since the invasion in March is between 20,000 and 55,000 people including at least 8,000 civilians with upwards of 20,000 civilian casualties, according to late last year figures.

Tuesday, January 13, 2004

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