Director of the Iraqi Economic Council, Basil Al-Khafaji announced the council participation in Emirates Economic Forum currently held in Dubai and Abu Dhabi to focus on learning from Emirati successful experiment in order to build industrial cities in Iraq and create cooperation opportunities in banking field.

Al-Khafaji said in a statement that “Arab Toda” was able to see, the economic council is participating in the forum through the official government delegation that consists of Industry minister and Work and Social Affairs minister Mohammed Shayaa Al-Sudanee, head of National Authority for Investment, Samy Al-Aaragi, Prime ministers’ economic advisor, general director, Faisel Al-Himas, general director of Baghdad real estates’ department, Essam Mohammed Saleh, and a number of governmental organizations’ representatives.
 
He said the first day of the forum included number of meetings with Abu Dhabi Chamber, with Emirati Economy ministry in Abu Dhabi and a meeting with Emirates Central Bank. The Emirati side expressed their happiness for meeting the Iraqi delegation, where they discussed number of ways to facilitate economic obstacles that hinder investment and cooperation between the two countries, especially with the upcoming rehabilitation of infrastructure after eliminating terrorism. He said the council focused on learning from the Emirati experiment to help Iraq build industrial cities and facilitate exporting Iraqi raw goods and create a market for them.
 
During the meetings, head of council, Ibrahim Al-Baghdadi praised the Emirati success in all fields, focusing on his meeting with Emirates Central Bank governor, and the fact that, Emirates had become the most important financial center on the region after merging banks in the last two years such as, the merger between Abu Dhabi National Bank and the Gulf Bank. He hopes to see more cooperation between government banks and private banks, along with cooperation with Emirati banks, which will increase investment opportunities in Iraq.