H.E. Mr. Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, Prime Minister of Iraq made a surprise visit to IBBC’s conference in Basrah. Amidst strict confidentiality the PM surprised delegates with a powerful and positive speech, outlining the achievements of his government and those of IBBC and its members hailing Basrah as the gateway to Iraq. (see his speech here>>>)

He was introduced by Mr Mohammed Al Saadi, Honorary IBBC Representative in Iraq & CEO of Sama Hammurabi Law Firm, who talked of the importance of upholding the law to ensure Iraq’s further development and attraction to international investment. (see his speech here>>>)

Prime Minister was accompanied by H.E. Hayan Abdul Ghani Al-Sawad, Deputy Prime Minister for Energy Affairs & Minister who also addressed the capacity audience and gave a confident exposition of Iraq’s successful energy production and the many plans to expand and diversify the sector, with the help of the IOC’s and many of those present. (see his speech here>>>)

Dr Robin Milton, Deputy Ambassador, British Embassy Baghdad spoke of Uk’s commitment to supporting trade and investment through UKEF and water projects here in Basrah. (see his speech here>>>).

H.E. Mr Assad Al Eidani, Governor of Basra then spoke of the initiatives and developments in Basrah. ( see his speech here>>>).

Christophe Michels MD of IBBC, thanked the PM and the Oil minister for their ongoing support to IBBC saying that the ease of doing business in Iraq had improved under their tenure. He further commented that ‘at the remarkable Education Day, we discussed the urgent need to shift Iraq’s prevailing public-sector mindset towards one that is more supportive of private enterprise. In essence, the Government should establish a framework that enables private sector growth rather than hindering it. A largely state-dominated economy must create room for private initiative to develop.’ And he mentioned that change was now underway. (see his speech here>>>).

Mr Ismael Shaker, Managing Director, Al Busttan as principal Sponsors, expressed his delight at having a conference in Basrah, their base and Iraq’s business powerhouse.

Ms Catarina Bjorlin Hansen, Head of EBRD in Iraq, was delighted to be opening their office to support sme’s and new projects, through an open fund, limited only by the quality of projects.

Mr Andrew Methven, CEO of AMAR Foundation, IBBC’s charity of choice, thanks IBBC members who have supported their CSR projects in Healthcare and Education in Basrah and Iraq and invited members to support their Ramadan boxes appeal for the poorest Baswatis.

The conference then proceeded across all the sectors that IBBC members operate in, including the new areas of Maritime, Innovation and tech, which increasingly complement classic sectors of Energy, Finance, Education and general construction, other topics included ease of doing business, travel & tourism and women in business.

Jon Wilks was chair for the day, and he observed that Iraq is well and truly back on the international business scene, its booming and confident, with a stable and pragmatic government, that we have every expectation will continue, whoever takes over later this year. That Basrah is back and the extent of construction and confidence in the city will re-establish its place as an international metropolis after a difficult 45 years.

A new initiative in ‘The Maritime Committee’ convened under the Chairmanship of Mr Ahmed Shaban who welcomed 20 members and who had specific interest in the work of the IBBC Committee, this included Captain Nathir, the Deputy Chairman of ISMA and Pilot Ali Abd the Commercial Manager of SCMT.(link) Progress towards the establishment of the Maritime Academy in Basra was discussed and the work towards the establishment of the Iraq Britain Maritime commission. The session highlighted several key issues that Mr Shaban will progress that requires input from the IBBC Membership, ISMA, GCPI and SCMT.

Education Day: 

The IBBC Education Day, chaired by Professor Mohammed Al-Uzri, IBBC Education Advisor, underscored a powerful and united commitment to revitalising Iraq’s education-to-industry relationship, led by senior government officials, UK and Iraqi university representatives, business leaders, and international partners.

Opening remarks from the President of the Southern Technical University, Dr. Adnan Abdullah Ateeq, affirmed a shared partnership approach with the IBBC, warmly welcoming collaboration aimed at aligning academic outcomes with national development. Speakers highlighted Basra’s unique position as Iraq’s largest centre of combined education and industry, stressing the importance of bridging decades of disconnect and diversifying the economy beyond oil. Professor Hamid Ahmed, Executive Director, Higher Committee for Educational Development (PMO), emphasised the importance of studies and research that link industry with education, enabling the education sector to grow in tandem with the business community. His remarks highlighted the IBBC’s unique ability to bring together all those committed to this shared goal.

Across the three sessions, ‘Schools’, ‘Vocational Training’ and ‘Higher Education’, participants repeatedly called for deeper industry involvement in curriculum design, vocational pathways, and apprenticeships, with market data revealing persistent skills gaps, particularly in engineering and practical competencies. Private sector educators described regulatory challenges and teacher shortages, while ministers emphasised urgent infrastructure needs and strong support for international-standard institutions.

Innovative models including science parks, advisory councils, and apprenticeship programmes were showcased as scalable solutions, with proposals for a tri-ministry council to coordinate national strategies. Companies pledged greater engagement through internships, research partnerships, and shared investment funds. Closing reflections celebrated the openness of dialogue and the momentum toward a more dynamic, market-responsive education system capable of empowering Iraq’s next generation.

Women in Business Roundtable:

There was a full house at the “Women in Business Roundtable”, chaired by Fay Jaffar of Al-Majal Group. The strong attendance set the tone for a robust discussion on the importance of women supporting one another in the workplace. Female representatives from Basrah Gas Company, MSelect, and other notable businesses were present.

The session opened with an overview of the current status of women in the Iraqi workforce, highlighting the low participation rate of working-age women and the limitations many still face regarding financial independence. Participants called for greater emphasis on teaching the value of women’s contributions from an early age, noting that men and women complement each other’s skills and, together, can increase workplace efficiency. This provides a clear commercial incentive for businesses to commit to improved standards for women in the workplace.

There were also calls to advance legislation that prohibits discriminatory interview questions directed at women. The leaders of the women’s network will reconvene to develop a strategy ensuring that important gatherings, such as the IBBC Women in Business Roundtable, translate into meaningful and impactful advocacy.

The Tech Forum focused on AI and the implications and opportunities it brings to business and the world. Phil McCauley of Saibre capital took us through the work they are doing to invest in a number of new towns in the UK, with the aid of AI planning, battery and data centre investment and defence tech. He ended by including a scenario for a new Basra, created from scratch by his briefing AI , to demonstrate how efficient and effective AI is. Dr Neil Cobbold of Reapit explained how AI and Quantum computing are set to change the nature of work and the jobs market – where 82% of coding and engineering graduate jobs are set to disappear in the next 5 years, so there should be a strong drive to modernise university curricula to include AI capabilities, to enable the the new kind of jobs that will emerge. In essence every graduate needs to have AI capability whatever the sector they are in. That said he sees a great opportunity for productivity and empowerment for those who do adapt. Makram jaibooji of GCS echoed the productivity increase with AI, as they digitally design construction and buildings on oil fields and beyond, with significant reductions in cost and time ( 30% and 70% ) and this will likely speed up and become the norm. Raghad Al-Abboodi of She Codes Too, is focsed on getting women to code and enter the computer science market. 75% of her qualified students get jobs and internships straight away , and she is mindful of the need to adapt and teach the basics before moving into AI for the future. He work covers over 300 women in Iraq, and she is looking to expand the program due to its success. See the full video here>>>

Christophe Michels observed that IBBC members had a strong appetite to hold the conference in Basrah, and that it has now replaced Dubai as the destination for the autumn conference, thanks to strong support of the members and sponsors, whom he thanked. “It is indicative that Iraq and Basrah are reclaiming their business and industrial heartlands and  voice in the Gulf and International community. The opportunity for business in Iraq is significant especially in areas where the economy is diversifying as well as its heartlands in production of Energy.”