Multi-billion dollar Iraqi transportation projects to be presented at Dubai summit

The summit comes as a result of the clearly identified need to improve and develop Iraq's transport infrastructure, with investment needed to regenerate the country's railways, ports, airports and civil aviation sectors. The summit will welcome a high level delegation of senior officials from the Iraqi Ministry of Transport, including the state companies for railways, airlines, civil airlines and Iraqi ports.

These sectors are currently in need of huge development, with the Ministry having outlined a number of plans for the coming months. One key area of precedence is that of the country's rail networks, with a large number of projects being run through the State Company for Railways, including a new project for connecting Iraq with Iran, the modernisation of the existing networks, developing communications and signalling networks and restoring power supplies to stations across the country. The Ministry is also looking to purchase new rolling stock and other railway-related equipment such as cranes for equipment, freight trucks, emergency services vehicles and replacement train engines.

Elsewhere, opportunities abound within the country's aviation sector, as the recent $5bn deal signed between the Ministry of Transport and a consortium featuring Boeing and the Canadian plane maker Bombardier demonstrates, with these companies set to supply 50 new airplanes for Iraqi Airways, the national carrier and the oldest in the Middle East. The revival of Iraq's aviation industry is seen as hugely important and symbolic of development throughout the country as a whole, with strong participation at the summit from the State Company for Airlines and the State Company for Civil Aviation.

Meanwhile, Iraq's ports have recently registered a dramatic increase in trade, revenues and productivity since the Government took control in March, with the Ministry of Transport announcing that it is now looking at commercial proposals for the development of the Iraq Grand Port in the Governorate of Basra. A number of private companies have already submitted their proposals for the lucrative port, and as Iraq looks to establish itself as a major shipping destination further opportunities are become available for commercial operators to meet with the State Company for Ports and discuss supplying the key services needed to aid this regeneration of this important sector.

The summit is based on a unique format whereby half of the summit time is devoted to speeches and presentations and the other half devoted to one-to-one meetings. The Ministry of Transport and the directors of the above state owned companies will be available for meetings with potential service providers and partners during these afternoon sessions, with huge commercial opportunities available for those companies meeting its requirements.