Nokia Siemens, the Finnish-German joint venture, will take part in the Iraq Transportation & Communications Technology Summit in October as a key sponsor.

The summit, organised in partnership with the Government of Iraq, will take place in Dubai on October 9 and 10. It will be attended by a high level delegation comprising ministers, deputies and director generals from Iraq’s ministries of Transport, Communications and Science & Technology.

Also in attendance will be the key state-owned companies for these sectors, including the Iraq Communications & Media Commission and Iraq Telecommunications & Postal Company, said a statement.

Iraq's communications infrastructure offers huge opportunities for global operators to work with the Government of Iraq, with a key area of focus being the expansion of Iraq's mobile telecommunications networks, the development of fixed line networks and public information technology systems.

Nokia Siemens is a leader in this expansion, providing perhaps the best example of the many lucrative commercial opportunities available in Iraq's communications sector, having recently signed a $150 million contract with Zain to modernise its mobile network, said the statement.

Nokia Siemens also recently extended its cooperation with the operator Asiacell, inking a multi-million dollar frame contract for its 2G network expansion.

These areas will form a key component of the summit, which is based on a unique format whereby half of the summit time is devoted to speeches and presentations and the other half devoted to one-to-one meetings.

These private meetings will provide a prime opportunity for operators and service providers to meet with senior officials from the Government of Iraq to discuss the opportunities available within the sector, it said.

More information on the summit can be obtained by contacting info@developmentprogram.org or visiting www.iraqdevelopmentprogram.org