Iraq - Governor of al-Anbar Province

The Governor of al-Anbar Province Qasim Abid was elected in April 2009, having formerly been a successful businessman in the UAE, and he was named Middle East Personality of the Year by fdi magazine in August 2009. He will be accompanied by a delegation including former Defence Minister Dr Sadoun Delami who is a prominent MP in al-Anbar with a focus on Economic Development, Hameed al-Janabi of the Al Anbar investment council, and the Shaikh of Delaim, Abu Risha.

Al-Anbar is the largest Province in Iraq with a population of approximately 1.5m people. Until early 2007 it was one of Iraq's most restive provinces, but since then has undergone a stunning transformation, being transferred back to Iraq government control on 1 September 2008. By early summer 2010, the Deputy Governor announced that the Province was preparing to host an International Investment Conference, and intended to use its oil wealth to upgrade its infrastructure. This will be a unique opportunity for British Expertise members to meet a group of senior and influential Iraqi politicians.