Interested In Rebuilding Iraq? Go Visit SSPEX 2018

From December 4 until 6 the Baghdad International Fair will host the largest homeland security and post-conflict reconstruction event in Iraq. The three-day fair was created by the organizer Business Glory as a venue for government agencies to interact with both global and local firms. SSPEX Iraq is already being sponsored by the Ministry of Communications, the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Transportation, and the Ministry of Industry and Minerals.

SSPEX Iraq is still accepting sponsorships from companies who want to enhance their visibility in a major trade event. These are available in silver, gold, and platinum categories with each having a set of perks. 21st Century Asian Arms Race (21AAR) is a media partner for SSPEX Iraq.

Below is an invitation to potential exhibitors. Companies in aerospace, automotive, construction, defense, consumer electronics, energy, security, and logistics who want to explore opportunities in Iraq are encouraged to inquire about SSPEX Iraq’s rates. The organizer can be reached via info@ssp-iraq.com or Eng.shahal2016@gmail.com

If the venue for SSPEX Iraq seems familiar, it’s the same used by the International Defense Exhibition in Iraq or IQDEX, which is an annual show held in March that caters to the defense ministry’s procurement list. SSPEX Iraq, on the other hand, has a broader focus that includes the rehabilitation of critical infrastructure. Having flushed the Islamic State (IS) from its remaining strongholds, the government of Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi is determined to fund post-war projects for the next five years.

Prime Minister al-Abadi has done what he could to solicit foreign aid for the monumental reconstruction effort Iraq faces. While the economy has grown on the back of rising oil prices, between $80 to $100 billion in pledges are needed to assist internally displaced Iraqis and rebuild their homes. The aid is also meant to improve the country’s transport infrastructure and boost its nominal GDP growth.

Although not a member of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Iraq has the fourth largest economy among Arab states in the Middle East. With a diverse geography that spans deserts, wetlands, and mountains, Iraq shares a northern border and extensive trade links with Turkey, whose status as a regional power is growing each year. Iraq’s borders are flanked by Iran in the east and Syria in the west while Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan are spread over the south and southwest. Iraq’s access to the Persian Gulf is only possible via a narrow waterway. Its oil reserves are the fifth largest in the world and output is expected to grow by the 2020s.

With Iraq’s economy recovering from the war against IS (2014-2017) nominal GDP is expected to reach $200 billion soon with a trade balance that could rise just as fast on the back of strong exports.