IBBC held a successful two-day conference in Dubai including a full education day followed by the business day, attended by senior officials from Iraq including HE Mohammed Al Darraji, senior technical advisor to the Iraqi PM and president of sovereign guarantee initiative, and Professor Hamid Khalaf Ahmed, PM advisor and executive director the Higher committee for education development in Iraq and PM office, Dr Hazim Al Zubaidi – Ministry of Higher education and Scientific research, HE Dr Mohammed Shukri, Chairman of Kurdistan investment board, and hosted by HE Abdullah Al Saleh, Undersecretary of the ministry of economy UAE, Dr Abduladheem Khalil, Iraq supreme Maritime Authority, and Director General Technical of Iraq’s Transport ministry Mr Abbas Iamran Al Zubaidi.

IBBC members were out in full force, including British Universities of London, Newcastle, and Oxford through to Senior executives of Shell, BP, Basra Gas Company, Wood, GE Vernova, SC, Sardar Group, SAP, Al Zaman, SABIS, Hydro C, Basra Gateway, London Sky and MSelect many others and new businesses.

The Education Day has rapidly grown in stature and influence, as both Iraqi Higher educators and secondary schools’ leadership attend, and many IBBC members interested in training and skills, including Wood, Sardar, SAP, BP and BGC keen to share their insights and commitment to developing employees and their qualifications in Iraq.

Chaired and curated by Professor Mohamed Al Uzri and sponsored by GEMS.

The importance of shaping the curricula and making training and skills relevant from primary to higher education to the current and future needs of Iraq was the overarching theme. Professor Gunter in his Ease of doing business report,  signalled that for Iraq’s growing population, 350,000 new jobs must be found each year for unemployment to stand still. The Government is now unable to fund additional jobs, so the private sector and entrepreneurship is the only solution to deliver opportunities. Panels discussed skills training, and the importance of attitude and the new style of learning, towards critical decision making and pupil empowerment away from rote learning, to enable business and jobs ready students.

The Tech Forum platformed a diverse range of Members’ presentations of their innovative business offers and markets – From Innovate Uk’s Chandila Fernandez who explained what and how the UK is supporting UK registered start ups with unparalleled access to support, grants and business contacts, to grow innovation and the next set of Unicorns, followed by Iraq venture Partners’ Hady Al Samra, who presented Iraq’s growing start up and scale up economy, and the businesses they are investing in with their fund, to DPD Date Palm based in UK and new to IBBC, culturing and growing thousands of top quality, disease resistant date palms from stem cells that are repopulating Iraq’s farms in Basra, and those of Egypt. William Page of 1001 (Iraq’s largest streaming platform) informed us they now have over 2.5million subscribers and are the largest Streaming platform in Iraq. The good news is they now exclusive distribution for top football and sports leagues (e.g. La Liga) in Iraq, with content across film and TV from around the Arab world, the biggest challenge is IP theft and competition from Pirate stations in Iraq, that the Government now recognise are a threat to producers and ethical business development in Iraq.

Riad Chehyab ex Serco, presented his new business advising on air taxi developments, which are coming to the Mena region now.

Finally, Bath Spa University’s Professors Sarah Hayes and Kate Pullinger discussed the use of AI in academia and how to manage the up and downsides and evolve best guidelines for pedagogy and learning.

Friday 13th saw the main business day chaired by IBBC GCC Representative Mr Vikas Handa – with opening speech from HE Abdullah Al Saleh and Baroness Nicholson who hosted  and welcomed the guests, HE Mohammed Al Darraji and Mr Sardar Al Bebany and Ms Azheen Mustafa of SABIS Schools.

Fascinating panels then followed with a topical ‘Iraq and the region’ a  geopolitical overview of Iraq – chaired by Jon Wilks CMG, Ms Mina Al Oreibi (The National) and Mr Norman Ricklefs of Namea Group– on the current situation with Syriah and its impact on Iraq, an analysis of the new powers in the Middle East; Turkey and Israel and the prospects for Iran and Iraq.

The Infrastructure and Maritime panel, convened for the first time, to reflect IBBCs increasing maritime membership, the establishment of a committee to help the Government of Iraq become a White flag operator of shipping at international standards, and to expand the opportunity of the new Al Fawr port and its impact on international trade between the Asia and Europe, via Turkey, and the 100,000 jobs in new hubs and towns expected to be developed along the route. Mr Ahmed Shaban as Chairman of the IBBC Maritime committee, put his weight behind creating new jobs and building the skills academy in Basra. Dr Abdulraheem Khalil of Iraq Supreme Maritime Authority joined the panel who engaged with Mr Tugrul Titanoglu of CJ-ICM, Amar Shubar of Management Partners and chair of the IBBC Maritime committee and Mr Ahmed Al Asady of the General maritime transport company.

Roundtables with Professor Frank Gunter on ‘ease of doing business in Iraq’ report, included Jon Wilks, Ms Lena Ali Khadhim of Toyota, Dr William Page of 1001 and Mr Amir Al Bebay of Sardar group and Ms Mina Al Oreibi, The National and a full room for the IBBC women’s group, led by Baroness Nicholson discussed ‘Women in business driving economic empowerment. Jon Wilks also chaired a KRG roundtable.

A distinguished Finance panel included Dr Samir Fakhri Noama of Central bank of Iraq, Mr Bilal Al Sugheyer of IFC, Mr Mohammed AL Delaimy of IBBC, Mr Jamil Choucair of SC, Mr Ahmed AL Haidary of MP and chaired by Mr Raed Hanna of Mutual finance. The final panel on energy fielded Iraq’s top energy producers under IBBC chair Vikas Handa; Ziad Elyaseri of BP, Mr Marfa Al Asady of BGC, Ellis Renforth of Wood, Mr Rasheed Al Janabi of GE Vernova, Mr Hassan Heshmat of Hydro C and Laith Al Shaher of IBBC Advisory Council. Mr Christophe Michels concluded the event- and thanked everyone who came, joined the panels and the sponsors: