Today, Monday, September 8, 2025, in the presence of, Mr. Sarwar Kamal Hawari, Deputy Ministery of Trade and Industry of the Kurdistan Regional Government, Geilan Haji Said, President of the Erbil Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Bertille Snoir, Deputy Consul General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Erbil, Khalil Goran, Haji Faisal Gardi and Rashid Mustafa Mirxan members of the Chamber's Executive Council and the Director General of Agriculture, several presidents of economic organizations in Erbil city, representatives and owners of 10 Dutch companies from various sectors, and businesspeople from Erbil city, a business meeting was organized at the Erbil Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
At the beginning of the meeting, Geilan Haji Said, President of the Chamber, delivered a welcome speech, expressing his happiness with this visit and describing it as important, announcing that this visit reflects the strength of economic and commercial relations between the Kurdistan Region and the Netherlands.
The Chamber President said: "We at the Erbil Chamber of Commerce consider this visit an opportunity to enhance commercial cooperation and investment, exchange expertise, and learn about the capabilities of both sides."
He added: "The Kurdistan Region provides promising investment opportunities in the fields of agriculture, industry, energy, tourism, education, and health," expressing his confidence that the expertise of Dutch companies can find a prominent place in these fields.
The Chamber President also emphasized the commitment of the Erbil Chamber of Commerce and Industry to providing all forms of support and facilities for Dutch companies.
In the continuation of his speech, the Chamber President referred to some data, announcing: "The Netherlands' exports to Iraq amount to $1.2 billion, mostly agricultural products and supplies, while Iraq's exports to the Netherlands amount to $5 billion, which comes mainly from oil."
The Chamber President requested in his speech that the Deputy Consul coordinate to connect and strengthen relations with commercial chambers in the Netherlands.
Mr. Kamal Hawari, Assistant Minister of Trade and Industry of the Kurdistan Region, in his speech highlighted the mechanisms for registering companies and factories by the Ministry of Industry and showed them all facilities, announcing: "There are 3,700 foreign companies with branches in the Kurdistan Region, 29 of which are Dutch companies, 26 companies are in Erbil city. Also, 1,700 local and foreign brands are registered in the Kurdistan Region, 44 of which are Dutch."
The Assistant Minister of Trade and Industry of the Kurdistan Region expressed hope that Dutch companies and investors would enter the Kurdistan Region markets more effectively and participate in international exhibitions.
Later, Bertille Snoir, Deputy Consul General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Erbil, expressed her happiness that commercial relations have witnessed good development, especially in the agricultural sector, and said: "As a consulate, we have a good program to implement a set of projects, and in the future we will make other visits to the Kurdistan Region with other commercial delegations."
After introducing the companies of both sides by the Relations Director at the Chamber, presentations on investment opportunities and Chamber activities were presented to the attendees.
It is scheduled that this evening at the Rotana Hotel, a B2B business meeting will be held between Dutch companies and local companies.