KURDISTAN BECKONS MALAYSIAN FIRMS

By Muin Abdul Majid

DUBAI, Oct 8 (Bernama) -- The Malaysia External Trade Development
Corporation (Matrade) has gleaned ample trade and business opportunities for
Malaysian companies in the Kurdistan region in northern Iraq.

This followed its maiden participation in a trade exhibition in the
region's capital, Erbil, from Sept 25 to 30.

Matrade's senior trade commissioner Dzulkifli Mahmud said Kurdistan was
undergoing rapid development, with infrastructure at the forefront of
development schemes.

"The autonomous region welcomes the participation of Malaysian contruction
companies in, for example, public housing where the government of Kurdistan is
willing to provide land for this purpose," the Dubai-based trade official told
Bernama here.

Besides housing, Kurdistan is also upgrading its hospitals, schools and roads,
he added.

"They have good knowledge of Malaysian experience in construction projects
overseas, particularly in the Middle East," Dzulkifli said.

According to him, the trade exhibition in Erbil marked Matrade's first
participation in such an event in Iraq in eight years.

He said during the trade show, Matrade managed to highlight Malaysian products
and services to Iraqi visitors.

"What's more important is that we were able to establish contact with Iraqi
contractors, officials in charge of construction and housing, those from
financial institutions as well as importers," he said.

According to him, certain Malaysian products such as beverages and Proton cars
were already present in Kurdistan.

He further said that Malaysian suppliers of automotive parts and
accessories could do well in the region.

To a question, Dzulkifli stressed that the situation in Kurdistan,
including main cities like Erbil and Sulaimaniyah, was safe and conducive for business.

"Security is good, the people there are very responsive and they know Malaysia.
Some of their students had studied in Malaysia and many had visited Malaysia
during holidays," he observed.

He noted that currently most of the products in the Kurdistan market were from
Turkey.

Dzulkifli said the Kurdistan government and trade officials would like to see
more active participation of Malaysian companies in exhibitions and trade shows
in Erbil.

"They believe that such events would serve as a platform to highlight and
promote our products and capabilities," he said.
--BERNAMA