US embassy cable - 03AMMAN3190

UNCLAS AMMAN 003190 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE PASS USTR FOR NED SAUMS 
COMMERCE FOR DAS MOLLY WILLIAMSON 
OSD FOR ORHA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ETRD, EINV, EAID, IZ, JO 
SUBJECT: JORDAN'S IRAQ RECONSTRUCTION CONFERENCE A HOT 
TICKET 
 
REF: AMMAN 2998 
 
1.  (u)  Summary:  Surprising local organizers, reservations 
for a June 5 Iraq Reconstruction conference are flooding in 
from throughout the region.  Confirmed bookings have already 
exceeded the organizers' rosiest predictions, even with a 
sticker price three times the going rate for conferences in 
Amman.  Excellent word of mouth and a speakers list that 
includes most major Iraq contractors, ORHA officials, and 
international relief agencies have combined to generate 
interest in the conference.  The intense interest reflects an 
almost bottomless demand in the private sector for 
information about the contracting process and about 
commercial opportunities in Iraq.  End Summary. 
 
CONFERENCE COMES OF AGE 
 
2.  (u)  As reported reftel, Jordan's AmCham, JABA, has been 
working with three sister associations to organize a 
conference on Iraq reconstruction.  The one-day conference, 
originally planned as a modest gathering to listen to USAID 
officials responsible for Baghdad describe the contracting 
process, has quickly blossomed into an ambitious program 
touching on all aspects of reconstruction and business 
opportunities in Iraq.  The program will also address 
Jordan's comparative advantages as a gateway to Iraq and as a 
source for partnerships with foreign investors who want a 
knowledgeable local interlocutor to represent their interests 
and get them into the Iraq market. 
 
IMPRESSIVE SPEAKERS LIST 
 
3.  (u)  JABA has recruited speakers from the senior ranks of 
the GOJ, the Ambassador, and the Jordanian Ambassador in 
Washington (who will appear live via digital video conference 
to close the program) for different program sessions.  In 
addition, they have commitments from ORHA's economic 
development team, USAID officials responsible for Iraq, and 
representatives from Bechtel, ABT, Creative Associates, 
Parsons-Brinkerhoff, UNDP, WFP, WHO, Halliburton, and the 
McKinsey Group to present at the conference. 
 
INTEREST OVERWHELMING 
 
4.  (u)  Organizers originally planned for 200-400 attendees. 
 They received over 100 confirmations the day the conference 
was announced.  As of May 28, with over a week to go before 
the conference, over 430 confirmations have been received. 
In addition to many key Jordanian businesses, reservations 
have come in from Dubai, Kuwait, Bulgaria, and other 
countries, and JABA has received expressions of interest from 
businesses in the West Bank, Israel, and Egypt, among others. 
 Attendees seem undaunted by the price tag - at $134 for 
organization members and $261 for non-members, about three 
times the going rate for such events in Amman. 
 
COMMENT 
 
5.  (u)  The intense interest generated by this conference 
surprised virtually everyone involved.  Local businesses have 
expressed frustration since combat operations ended in Iraq 
over the lack of information about business and contracting 
opportunities, expectations, and procedures.  This conference 
should help to address some of those questions, and with luck 
will generate interest in Jordan as a gateway to Iraq.  The 
sizable positive response from throughout the region and 
beyond also hints at the voracious demand for information 
that will likely continue in the region for the foreseeable 
future. 
 
6.  (u)  We will be working with the GOJ and private sector 
following the conference to explore ways to capitalize on the 
success of the June 5 event - through trade missions, 
investment promotion conferences in other regional capitals 
(modeled on the successful FTA promotional events from 
December 2002), and similar follow up. 
GNEHM