Christophe Michels, Managing Director of the Iraq Britain Business Council (IBBC) and the Iraq team including Ali Mashkour and Nabeel Mohsin, undertook a visit to meet with members and key stakeholders. The purpose of the visit was to present IBBC’s plans and priorities for 2026, while also gathering feedback, support, and insights from our members operating in the Iraqi market and meeting new members.

During the visit, meetings were held with senior government officials, including representatives of the Central Bank of Iraq and the Head of the Prime Minister’s Advisory Commission (PMAC), reinforcing IBBC’s ongoing dialogue with Iraqi institutions.

The team visited a number of IBBC member companies including new members Shumukh Al Basiqat, Bayt Alkhair, and RQC, as well as existing members Al Nesoor, Sama Hammurabi, and AlMaseer Insurance and Ashur Bank’s parent group Al Handal and the Private banking league and Arab Bank in Abu Nawas Street with the head of corporate banking. These visits provided valuable opportunities to discuss business developments, challenges, and opportunities across different sectors.

IBBC team visiting Al Handal group and their hospitality and art gallery destinations, Ashur Bank member is owned by Al Handal, the Gallery in Baghdad and Six5ifty chain of Gyms and restaurants in Iraq. The group more broadly includes Banking, Real Estate Development, Tourism, Hospitality, and others. Although the group is rooted in Baghdad, their branches and projects span across the United Arab Emirates, Japan, and Turkey.

Christophe Michels ‘A big thank you to all our members who hosted us during the visit and a special Thanks Al Nesoor for hosting the reception where we had a great turnout. It’s important for us to understand how members are thinking, their expectations for our work and the incoming government.’