ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The 16th edition of the Erbil Build Expo kicked off in the Kurdish capital on Thursday, bringing together hundreds of local and international companies after a three-month postponement triggered by regional tensions between Iran and the United States.
Originally scheduled for May, the expo was delayed until late August after rising security risks across the Middle East disrupted logistics and travel.
Despite the postponement, the event, held at the Erbil International Fairground, has drawn strong international participation, with companies showcasing products and services across construction, energy, solar power, and related industries.
Goran Saad Abdullah, head of the expo, said 450 companies are taking part this year, including 370 foreign firms.
"Despite the situation in the region, foreign companies are not concerned," Abdullah told Rudaw.
“They are willing to come and participate in Erbil because they have confidence in what is being presented here. They believe they can benefit from participating, and we will assist them in this regard,” he said.
Dozens of Iranian businesses are also among the participants, showcasing their products alongside regional and international competitors.
The notable turnout at the Expo comes as the repercussions of the Iran war continue to reverberate across the region.
The US and Israel launched a joint aerial campaign in late February, striking thousands of targets across Iran over six weeks.
Tehran responded with thousands of drone and missile strikes across the Middle East, targeting alleged US assets - particularly in Gulf Arab states - while also launching retaliatory strikes against Israel.
The warring sides reached a preliminary ceasefire in early April, followed by the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding in mid-June which established a truce on all fronts and set a 60-day window for negotiating a final agreement, extendable only by mutual consent.
Since the MoU, Iran and the US have traded several rounds of strikes and counterstrikes, the latest of which escalated on July 8 before subsiding in late July. A degree of de-escalation has since taken hold, though a US naval blockade on Iranian ports remains in effect as Iran continues to claim sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, disrupting commercial shipping and forcing vessels to seek authorization for passage.
Despite the cautious calm in the region, companies at the Expo in Erbil say they are eyeing opportunities in Kurdistan and Iraq more broadly.
Solar power is among the sectors drawing the most interest this year, driven by chronic power shortages across the Region and Iraq that have fueled demand for alternative energy systems.
However, broader economic pressures - including customs and import challenges - have created additional hurdles for businesses across sectors.
"Before, the cost of installing a solar system was lower than it is today," said Rayan Darash, a representative for one of the participating companies, VIVA Solar, noting that "customs and import challenges have affected all businesses, not just the solar industry."
The Erbil Build Expo runs through Sunday.
Rekar Aziz contributed to this report from Erbil, Kurdistan Region.
