Iraq Defence, Security & Communications Summit hailed a great success

The summit, which took place at the Grand Hyatt Dubai on 16-17 February, welcomed an unrivalled line-up of leading Iraqi officials, led by Minister of Defence Abdul Qadir Obeidi. Other leading officials included National Security Affairs Minister Sherwin Shirwan Al Waili, Acting Communications Minister Jassim Mohammed Ja'fer and Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) Interior Minister Karim Sinjari. The summit represents the first meeting of the international business community with an Iraqi delegation of such magnitude.

Utilising a unique format that combines detailed presentations on key issues with specific face-to-face discussion between officials and executives, the summit provided a forum for the likes of Northrup Grumman, EADS, General Dynamics, BAE Systems, Lockheed Martin and Raytheon to meet with Minister Obeidi, who reiterated the Ministry's need for artillery, combat vehicles, helicopters, main battle tanks and armoured personnel carriers.

Elsewhere, discussions were held with the Iraqi Ministries of Interior and National Security, as well as the KRG Ministry of Interior. A strong part of the summit's focus was the important role of technology in rebuilding defence and security infrastructure, with further meetings being held between leading information communication technology operators and the Iraqi Ministries of Communications and Science & Technology, as well as senior communications advisors to KRG President Omar Barzani.

One of the leading summit sponsors was the company Zain Iraq, whose CEO Ali Al Dahwi called for the Iraqi and US governments to further facilitate and provide incentives for the private sector to play a leading, stronger and more influential role in the areas where economic development has been held back. Citing the mobile telecommunications business as a private sector success case, he declared that the industry was ready to take a leading role across those areas where their expertise and skills can make a real and rapid impact on the country's development.

The summit also welcomed senior representation from the US Department of Defence, with Deputy Undersecretary for Business Transformation Paul Brinkley and Deputy Undersecretary for Logistics & Material Readiness Jack Bell both giving addresses and taking meetings over the two days. The US Government was also represented by the Joint Contracting Command-Iraq/Afghanistan (JCC-I/A) and by the Multi-National Forces-Iraq (MNF-I).

A number of keynote presentations were made over the two days, with topic areas covering contracting regulations, defence technology solutions, private security best practice and communications infrastructure. These are all available now to download from the Iraq Development Program website.

The summit also provided the platform for the formal announcement of the forthcoming Commercial Investment Summit for the Iraqi Ministry of Industry & Minerals, which will take place in Dubai on 19-20 April 2008. The summit, described by the Ministry as the first step towards privatisation of Iraq's largest non-oil industry sectors, will welcome a senior level of Iraqi officials who will discuss investment opportunities for bringing over 250 Iraqi production facilities up to full capacity.