Baghdad:The Minister of Planning, Qutaiba Ghazi Majeed, chaired the 19th meeting of the committee tasked with organizing the 4th Arab Summit on Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs), set to take place in Baghdad in November 2026. The meeting, established by Diwani Order (29), included participation from the Ministry’s Deputy Minister for Technical Affairs, Dr. Maher Hammad Johan, alongside committee members and representatives from various supporting entities.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, the meeting involved a review of the minutes from the previous session and discussions on challenges related to contracting and the readiness of infrastructure at the Baghdad International Fairgrounds.

The committee addressed the follow-up on obligations of the organizing company, such as providing printed materials, arranging group transportation for delegations, securing hotel reservations, and deploying guides for guest management. Reports from the finance, sponsorship, technical, media, and protocol committees were also discussed, including the mechanism for transferring funds in Iraqi dinars from the Central Bank to the summit’s account.

Additional topics included procedures and facilities for issuing entry visas to international guests and participants, establishing a protocol for submitting passport copies to ensure smooth entry of delegations. This coordination involves the Ministries of Interior and Foreign Affairs, as well as ESCWA.

The meeting was attended by several directors-general and representatives from the Office of the Prime Minister, the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers, and the Ministries of Planning, Foreign Affairs, and Trade, along with the Central Bank of Iraq, the National Investment Commission, and the Federation of Chambers of Commerce.