At the IBBC Autumn Conference in Basrah (4 December 2025), Business Day – 𝗦𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝟱: 𝗚𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗜𝗿𝗮𝗾 (𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝟭) – 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿, chaired by 𝗠𝗿 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗻 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗹𝗮𝘆 with contributions from 𝗠𝗿 𝗔𝗵𝗺𝗲𝗱 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗯𝗮𝗻, 𝗗𝗿 𝗔𝗹𝗶 𝗔𝗹-𝗔𝘀𝘄𝗮𝗱, 𝗖𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗿 𝗔𝗹𝗮𝗺𝗶 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗘𝗻𝗴. 𝗠𝗼𝗵𝗮𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗱 𝗤𝘂𝘀𝗮𝘆 𝗔. 𝗦𝗮𝗵𝗶𝗯, explored how Iraq’s industrial platforms and maritime capabilities are converging to position Basra as a regional logistics and investment hub. The discussion highlighted pivotal opportunities for investors, operators and policymakers such as:

• 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗵 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀, supported by more than 900 billion Iraqi dinars committed by the Defence Industries Commission in partnership with national and international companies—creating practical entry points into industrial zones, manufacturing sites and specialised production facilities already under development.
• 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵-𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀, supported by 𝟰𝟰 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗲𝘀 and JV frameworks that accelerate co-investment and reduce early-stage risk.
• 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀, driven by expanding port assets, shipyard facilities and governance reforms that strengthen safety, compliance and integration with regional trade corridors.
• 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲-𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀, with rising demand for internationally certified maritime skills aligned with IMO methodologies and emerging national standards.

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