Iraq Business and Investment Summit

 Programme

8.00am

Registration
9.00am

Chairman’s welcome

David Butter, Regional Director, Middle East and North Africa, Economist Intelligence Unit
9.05am

Economist Intelligence Unit research presentation

  • An exclusive, first-time presentation of the key findings of our white paper, Iraq Through Investors’ Eyes, which will be launched at the event
  • Results of a global survey of 370 investors on how they see Iraq
  • Which industries are likely to lead Iraq’s recovery?
  • What are the main risks and opportunities as perceived by international investors?
  • The long-term economic outlook for Iraq
  • Q&A
Ali Al-Saffar, Iraq Editor, Economist Intelligence Unit
Jane Kinninmont, Associate Director, Economist Intelligence Unit
9.40am

Iraq from an international business perspective

Panel discussion with leading international and regional senior executives, looking at their perceptions of and plans for Iraq.

  • How are firms evaluating the risks and rewards of investing in Iraq?
  • How does Iraq compare to other high-risk countries?
  • Assessing the economic potential of different sectors: energy, infrastructure, real estate, manufacturing, tourism
  • The legal environment, bureaucracy and compliance

Panellists:
Samer Majali, CEO, Gulf Air
Hussein Damirji, Partner, Patton Boggs
Emad Makiya, CEO, Zain Iraq
10.40am

Networking break
11.00am

Why invest in Iraq?

Q&A with Ali-Al Dabbagh, Official Spokesman, Government of Iraq

  • Opportunities in key sectors
  • Government spending plans
  • Infrastructure development: ports, roads, railways
  • Government policy towards investment
  • How to finance an investment in Iraq
Panellists:
Omar Barzanji, CEO, Technology Partners
Bartle Bull, Founder, Northern Gulf Partners
Eric le Blan, COO, MerchantBridge
12.15pm

 Networking lunch

Featuring welcoming remarks from Hussein Al Uzri, Chairman, Trade Bank of Iraq
1.30pm

 

On the ground: challenges and advice for investors in Iraq

  • How to go about investing in Iraq
  • Dealing with security risk across Iraq’s different regions
  • The pros, cons and costs of private security
  • Iraqi public opinion and consumer attitudes
  • Successful business models for Iraq
  • Dealing with bureaucracy and compliance
Panellists:
Shwan Ibrahim Taha, Chairman, Rabee Securities
Mike Knights, Director, Analysis and Assessments, Olive Group
Stefan Kaszubowski, Managing Director, YouGov Special Projects
Khalid Mahdi, COO,Taha and Partners Group 
2.45pm

From reconstruction to recovery

  • Will oil investment be able to break Iraq’s aid dependence?
  • Prospects for recovery in the non-oil economy
  • Assessing the state of Iraq’s infrastructure and its investment needs
Panellists:
Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne, Executive Chairperson, IBBC (Iraq Britain Business Council)
Sara Akbar, CEO, Kuwait Energy
Nabil Habayeb, President and CEO, Middle East and Africa, GE
Luay J Al Khatteeb, Founder and Executive Director, Iraq Energy Institute
3.45pm

Networking break
4.00pm
Focus on Kurdistan

Q&A with Farhad Alaaldin, Senior Advisor to the Prime Minister, Kurdistan Regional Government and Sabah Toma Al Maleh, Senior Advisor to the Minister of Planning, Kurdistan Regional Government
  • The business environment in the Kurdistan Autonomous Region
  • The legal framework for foreign investment
  • Key sectors: infrastructure, industry, housing
  • Advice for investors
5.00pm

Iraq’s political future: The Economist's view

  • Different scenarios for Iraq’s political future: will Iraq hold together, and will it consolidate its democracy?
  • What will Iraq’s recovery mean for the Middle East?
  • Iraq’s future relations with the region and with the West

Xan Smiley, Middle East and Africa Editor, The Economist
6.00pm

Chair's closing remarks