Kurdistan
The original report was published in the USA Today on Monday, October 15, 2012
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Safety and stability are in the heart of the economic framework of Kurdistan,
a region that is beginning to realize its huge economic potential
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Mass Group Holding is working toward combined cycle power and a more efficient electricity infrastructure across Kurdistan
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 The Hewa Group is driven by a passion for business growth, a focus on brand building and unmatched customer service The diversified Hewa Group is behind Kurdistan's top shopping center, Majidi Mall
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In just two years Middle East Power has worked with the Ministry of Electricity to increase the supply of electricity to the national grid by investing in the country's out-of-service power plants
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Demand for North Bank's range of services spans small businesses to multinationals
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 Ghada Gebara, CEO of Korek Telecom Korek Telecom is the fastest growing mobile network operator in Iraq, and its service covers the whole country. It has a market share of more than 70% in Kurdistan and a countrywide market share of 13-14%
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Not long after the turn of the millennium, the studio lights came on, the screens glowed and somebody said "action", as the first home-spun TV channel in Kurdistan went live. And this was no mean feat, as the country had just escaped from the locked-solid grip of dictatorship
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The reform of schools and universities aims to create a workforce capable of responding to the needs of a progressively more sophisticated economy
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The Kurdish government has approved legislation permitting the sale of land to foreign companies
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One of the principal real estate firms in Kurdistan is the Baghdad-based Galala Group of Companies, with offices in Erbil, the regional capital, and in Amman, Jordan
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 The Zagros Group is one of the three largest companies in Kurdistan, active in a wide variety of fields including IT, construction, health and energy, among others The Zagros Group has become one of the region's most valued companies, leading the way in numerous sectors
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With a mission that is a simple idea but effective in application, the Atconz Group's successful housing and community-building projects highlight the region's potential
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 Electricity provisions are set to meet and even exceed predicted demand and the country is now looking to recoup costs for the excess energy The Kurdistan Ministry of Electricity's priority is to become energy self-sufficient with plans to export energy in the near future
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This expanding company based in Ankara, Turkey is playing a pivotal role in the distribution of power in the region
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 The Darin Group built the first Dubai-style mall in Kurdistan and is looking for investors to help with further infrastructure development in the region The Darin Group provide the backbone for Iraqi infrastructure
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Already an investment hotspot, Iraqi Kurdistan is eager to encourage foreign companies to take advantage of the enormous business opportunities on offer
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 Korek currently holds a 70% market share in the Kurdistan region, but are looking to increase their overall presence in the Iraqi market Iraqi mobile operator Korek Telecom has joined forces with some of the biggest names in the industry and is keen to capitalize on 3G connectivity
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Transport and communication links are what connect people, take goods to their destinations and essentially allow business to operate. Without these links, the world as we know it could not function
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 The Iraqi telecoms market has been growing at an average rate of around 8% per year since 2006 Asiacell was the first cell phone company to cover the country's 18 provinces. It now reaches 96% of the population
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Celebrating its 20th year, the university plays a vital role in developing the Kurdistan region of Iraq
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 Azmar Airline The company has found a niche in the Iraqi aviation market in only five years and is looking to develop further
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Khatib & Alami is an international consolidated engineering firm, instrumental in Kurdistan's infrastructure development
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 Zagros is leading the way in international relations through aviation The airline will further increase the accessibility of the region to the world's business and tourist travelers
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LOCATION:
Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iran and Kuwait
AREA:
total: 438,317 sq km
CLIMATE:
mostly desert; mild to cool winters with dry, hot, cloudless summers; northern mountainous regions along Iranian and Turkish borders experience cold winters with occasionally heavy snows that melt in early spring, sometimes causing extensive flooding in central and southern Iraq
NATURAL RESOURCES:
petroleum, natural gas, phosphates, sulfur
GEOGRAPHY - note:
strategic location on Shatt al Arab waterway and at the head of the Persian Gulf
ETHNIC GROUPS:
Arab 75%-80%, Kurdish 15%-20%, Turkoman, Assyrian, or other 5%
LANGUAGES:
Arabic (official), Kurdish (official), Turkmen (a Turkish dialect) and Assyrian (Neo-Aramaic) are official in areas where they constitute a majority of the population), Armenian
POPULATION:
31,129,225 (July 2012 est.)
GOVERNMENT TYPE:
parliamentary democracy
CAPITAL:
name: Baghdad
GDP - real growth rate:
9.9% (2011 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 9.7%
industry: 60.5%
services: 29.8% (2011 est.)
AGRICULTURE - products:
wheat, barley, rice, vegetables, dates, cotton; cattle, sheep, poultry
INDUSTRIES:
petroleum, chemicals, textiles, leather, construction materials, food processing, fertilizer, metal fabrication/processing
EXPORTS:
$82.77 billion (2011 est.)
IMPORTS:
$53.93 billion (2011 est.)
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