Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq (KRG.org) – Representatives of 14 British companies together with the UK’s Middle East Association (MEA) on Friday completed a six-day visit to the Kurdistan Region.

The trade delegation, headed by former ambassador David Lloyd OBE, met with Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) ministers and officials as well as a large number of Kurdistani and expatriot business people.

The MEA is Britain’s leading trade organisation for companies trading in the Middle East. The MEA and the Kurdistan Federation of Chambers of Commerce earlier this year formed a UK-Kurdistan Region Business Forum, to promote trade between the two sides.

Mr Lloyd, who is senior consultant to the MEA, said, “This is the third and largest trade delegation the MEA has brought to the Kurdistan Region. We are here to do serious business and we are happy to see so much progress and so many opportunities in Kurdistan. We certainly plan to return in 2009.”

The delegation members met several KRG ministers and officials as well as Mr Nawzad Hadi, the Governor of Erbil, and Mr Dana Ahmed Majeed, the Governor of Suleimaniah, all of whom gave them an overview of the peace and stability in Kurdistan, the business and investment climate and the opportunities for British companies to trade and invest.

The Erbil and Suleimaniah chambers of commerce, as well Asiacell and Ster Group, two of Kurdistan’s leading companies, hosted receptions and meetings for the delegation with various domestic and international companies. The delegation also visited processing plants and property developments.

Ms Bayan Sami Abdul Rahman, the KRG’s High Representative to the UK, said, “A wide range of sectors was represented in this delegation – from oil services and water purification to medical equipment and perfumery – and all the companies came away having met counterparts in the Kurdistan Region. We’re confident at least some of the companies will do real business from this trip and will hopefully become advocates for trade with Kurdistan.”

The companies represented in the MEA delegation were: Camlon (medical equipment), CDE Ireland (construction materials processing), Horse & Bamboo Theatre company, Middle East Minerals (water and waste treatment), MCI Diventi (IT and telecoms), Milton-Lloyd (perfumery), Parsons Brinckeroff (infrastructure and engineering consultancy), TRC (legal and business consultancy), United Insurance Brokers, Vestguard UK (security equipment), Univation (oil and gas industry training), Wagtech (lab and field testing equipment) Wood Group (oil and gas services) and Wier Oil and Gas. The visit was arranged by the KRG UK Representation in coordination with the KRG Department of Foreign Relations.