AMMAN - Traders eyeing Iraq's vast reconstruction and the potential billions of dollars of business displayed their wares at a fair in Jordan on Monday, which also underlined the scale of the rebuilding required.
Everything from oil equipment, education aids, irrigation pipes and sewage pumps, surgical tools and garbage trucks, right on to hatcheries for poultry farms was on show at the four-day Rebuild Iraq 2005 fair attended by over 900 Arab and other foreign representatives.
But security problems cast a shadow over the potential business in a market estimated by the organisers to be worth more than 150 billion dollars long-term in equipment and technology needs.
"In the medium term 60-70 billion dollars will be needed to rebuild the country," a statement said.
"Foreign firms don't want to go to Iraq because of the security situation," said Iraqi businessman Alaa Barwari, from the southern Iraqi port of Basra.
"Most of the foreign firms want to find local agents in Iraq but my hope is that they will have a more active role in my country, to transfer technology, set up shop and provide jobs for the Iraqis," he added.
Antonio Magurno, an Italian participant, said: "We're not sure about venturing into the Iraqi market at the moment. We will see after the fair. The future must be changed."
Michael Dorfmann of the American Wire Group, a sub-contractor for the US army in Iraq, admitted that "security is a concern" but added "we have ways of working around that".
Pavilions from 44 Arab and foreign countries, including China, Britain, France, the United States and Malaysia are displaying their products at the fair being organised by the Beirut-based IFP Group and the Saudi Riyadh Exhibition Company.
The event will include a two-day conference on doing business with Iraq.
The United States has allocated 18.6 billion dollars for reconstruction projects in Iraq while international donors committed a further 33 billion dollars.
04/04/2005 13:25 GMT