Kalpesh Kinariwala: Emirati Women A True Inspiration for Women all Over the World

Emirati women set a new example by occupying leadership roles in the public sector


Dubai, United Arab Emirates-Wednesday 29 August 2018 [ AETOS Wire ]

The UAE has always been at the forefront, providing women with enough opportunities to help them excel in their careers. The country is setting a precedent in gender balance and women’s empowerment with women population now accounting for more jobs in the public-sector workforce.

“In the UAE, women have made significant progress in fields which have been predominantly reserved for men. With our real estate projects as an example, we have observed that many leading positions in the government are occupied by Emirati women, who not only support quick decision-making, but also facilitate a smooth and seamless work process, making our work faster and easier. With more women occupying leadership positions in the public sector, our work approvals or handovers, becomes easy and well-organised,” said Kalpesh Kinariwala, CEO and Chairman of Pantheon Group.

“When countries give women greater opportunities to participate in the economy, the benefits extend far beyond individual girls and women, but also to societies and economies as a whole. And this is well evident with UAE’s strategic vision for women that provides them the necessary tools to achieve professional excellence,” added Kalpesh.

Progress comes when culture shifts, equity is sought and respect is earned. In the UAE, every year, more women are earning advancements due to organic change. As long as the country’s leaders continue to push forward and prioritise the elements that help women excel, UAE is set for an unprecedented growth.

Contacts

SAHARA Communications

Wafa Ahmad, Senior Consultant, +97143298996, +971569474164

w.ahmad@saharapr.com  / www.saharagcc.com


Permalink : https://www.aetoswire.com/news/kalpesh-kinariwala-emirati-women-a-true-inspiration-for-women-all-over-the-world/en

ResMed’s Astral Life Support Ventilator Now Has AutoEPAP in U.S.

Other upgrades include easy interface switching and program naming to improve ease of use

SAN DIEGO-Tuesday 28 August 2018 [ AETOS Wire ]

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- ResMed (NYSE: RMD) (ASX: RMD), a global leader in cloud-connected respiratory care devices, today announced key upgrades to its Astral life support ventilators, including Optional AutoEPAP in iVAPS for U.S. patients, a high-demand therapy option.

What is AutoEPAP?

AutoEPAP (automatic expiratory positive airway pressure) automatically adjusts a patient’s expiratory pressure in response to flow limitations or obstruction of the upper airway.

AutoEPAP is now available in the United States, and already in use in other markets. It’s an option when in Astral’s iVAPS (intelligent Volume-Assured Pressure Support) mode that automatically adapts to a patient’s changing pressure needs as their respiratory disease progresses.

Other upgrades

In addition to AutoEPAP, Astral users worldwide can now:

Easily change interfaces: Patients can easily change between a mouthpiece and a full face, nasal or pillows mask from a single limb circuit.
Customize program names: Clinicians can now name programs on a patient’s Astral device for fast, easy access.
“These significant upgrades make Astral one of the most advanced life support ventilators on the market,” said Richie McHale, president of ResMed’s Respiratory Care business. “It’s already proven to stabilize ventilation in significantly fewer breaths than its leading competitor,1 and today’s innovations offer greater ease of use and even more peace of mind to patients across a wide range of respiratory diseases than ever before.”

About ResMed

ResMed (NYSE: RMD) (ASX: RMD), a world-leading connected health company with more than 5 million cloud-connected devices for daily remote patient monitoring, changes lives with every breath. Its award-winning devices and software solutions help treat and manage sleep apnea, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and other respiratory conditions. Its 6,000-member team strives to improve patients’ quality of life, reduce the impact of chronic disease and save healthcare costs in more than 120 countries. ResMed.com

1 Diesem Ryan. Astral/Trilogy iVAPS/AVAPS Comparison. Valley Inspired Products 2016; 16011.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180827005110/en/

Contacts
ResMed
For media:
Jayme Rubenstein
+1 858.836.6798
news@resmed.com
or
For investors:
Amy Wakeham
+1 858.836.5000
investorrelations@resmed.com


Permalink : https://www.aetoswire.com/news/resmedrsquos-astral-life-support-ventilator-now-has-autoepap-in-us/en

Canon Central and North Africa partners with Dubai Cares to host a fundraising event

 ‘Canon Day of Giving’ to raise funds to support two educational programmes in the Middle East and Africa


Dubai, United Arab Emirates, -Wednesday 29 August 2018 [ AETOS Wire ]

Canon Central and North Africa (CCNA), a provider of imaging technologies and services, will be hosting a fundraising event on 28 September 2018 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), in partnership with Dubai Cares. The Canon Day of Giving fundraising event will be hosted as a fun and entertaining carnival with the goal of raising AED 250,000 to support two educational programmes, one in Africa and a second in the Middle East.

Roman Troedhandl, Managing Director, Canon Central and North Africa, said: “Access to education in Africa has many challenges, and today sub-Saharan Africa has the highest rates of education exclusion in the world according to the United Nations. Initiatives like Canon Day of Giving guarantee that we can make a measurable difference to the communities that need education systems in place, as well as make more children in Africa happy and optimistic about their future.”

In Africa, the funds raised will support an Enhanced Early Years Pre-Service Teacher Training programme in Ghana for the duration of three years. The programme will upgrade existing kindergarten classrooms through training and learning resources to support the teachers deliver higher quality, fact-based learning in the classroom.

Tariq Al Gurg, Chief Executive Officer at Dubai Cares said: “We are happy to once again partner with Canon Middle East and build on our collaboration in an effort to provide children and young people access to quality education in developing countries. We value their efforts to launch a campaign and not only open it up to their stakeholders, but also to the wider community.  We look forward to a high turnout from individuals, groups and families who will be contributing to raising funds for Dubai Cares.”

Contacts

Canon Middle East

Mai Youssef

mai.youssef@canon-me.com



ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller

Yasser Alvi or Nora Feidi

+97144507600

yasser.alvi@bm.com  

nora.feidi@bm.com 

Permalink : https://www.aetoswire.com/news/canon-central-and-north-africa-partners-with-dubai-cares-to-host-a-fundraising-event/en

Mya, Industry’s Leading Conversational AI Recruiter, Takes Market by Storm, Adds 120 Enterprise Customers, Including 40 of Fortune 500, in Under Two Years

 Global Customers using Mya Include L’Oréal, Adecco Group, and Sevenstep; Company Now Offers Conversational AI in French, Spanish, and German



SAN FRANCISCO-Wednesday 29 August 2018 [ AETOS Wire ]

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Mya Systems, the creator of the industry’s leading conversational AI recruiter, Mya, today announced significant customer and team growth. Since its launch in July of 2016, 120 enterprise companies -- including four of the largest global recruiting agencies, 15 of the Fortune 100, and 40 of the Fortune 500 -- have selected Mya to transform the job search and hiring experience for candidates and recruiters. L’Oréal, Adecco Group, and Sevenstep (a Motion Recruitment company) are among its customers. The company also recently grew its international footprint, expanded its employee base 300 percent, and made extensive product and technological enhancements.

Mya’s ability to dramatically accelerate the recruiting process, increase candidate satisfaction, and improve recruiter productivity has led U.S. and European companies to rapidly adopt the conversational AI platform. In response, the company has tripled its team in the U.S., added support for major European languages, and opened offices in London and Munich. The company has named Malik Aibache, former Marketing Director for PageGroup, as its VP Marketing and Operations EMEA, and Joachim Fischer as its VP Sales EMEA.

“Our announcement today underscores the great progress we’ve made toward our mission to create a more efficient job market powered by AI,” said Eyal Grayevsky, co-founder and CEO of Mya Systems. “Our momentum has been driven, in large part, by our significant investments in product and R&D and our commitment to building a world-class leadership team with repeat track records of scaling successful SaaS businesses.”

In the past year, Mya Systems considerably expanded Mya’s capabilities across the end-to-end recruitment life cycle, and added several ATS, CRM, and calendar partnerships and integrations to the platform. In keeping with its commitment to meeting the highest standards for customer privacy and security in both the U.S. and Europe, it achieved SOC2 and GDPR compliance. And, as part of its ongoing global expansion, the company now offers conversational AI in French, Spanish, and German.

Over the past year, Mya Systems has added a number of new leaders to its team to provide the company with the depth and breadth of expertise required for the next stage of its evolution and growth. Key executive hires include:

    Malik Aibache, VP Marketing & Operations EMEA - Aibache brings 15 years of industry experience from Michael Page Group, one of Europe’s largest recruiting agencies.
    Joachim Fischer, VP Sales EMEA - Fischer brings 20 years of sales and management experience for European-based organizations, most recently as Director of econ industries.
    Connie Schiefer, VP Product Management - Schiefer was most recently SVP of Product Management and Engineering for SimplyHired, and previously VP of Product Management at Yahoo, overseeing a team of 40 product managers and 900+ engineers.
    Vinita Venkatesh, VP Product Marketing - Venkatesh brings 15 years of domain, product and marketing expertise from brands including Workday, Rubrik, and Replicon.
    Mike Pauletich, VP Business Development - Pauletich has 20+ years of recruiting industry experience and leadership roles at Jibe, Entelo, eQuest, and TMP Worldwide.
    Tim Gray, VP IT & Information Security - Gray has 20+ years of experience in technology and security operations, including with Guardian Analytics and Good Technology.

About Mya

Mya is the leading conversational AI recruiter. The solution helps hiring teams scale their sourcing efforts, screen and shortlist large applicant pools, automate the scheduling process, provide onboarding and HR support, and deliver a world-class candidate and employee experience. Mya applies proprietary natural language and machine learning techniques to have open-ended, natural and dynamic conversations, gather deep candidate insights, and build trust and confidence with its users. The technology interacts with candidates through SMS, WhatsApp, and other messaging applications and can be embedded into your career site and application process. Mya is highly configurable, speaks multiple languages, and can be seamlessly integrated into your ATS, CRM, and calendar systems.

About Mya Systems

Formerly known as FirstJob, Mya Systems was co-founded in 2012 by Eyal Grayevsky, CEO, and James Maddox, CTO. The San Francisco-based company launched Mya, its conversational AI recruiter, in July of 2016 to address major inefficiencies in recruiting and improve the process for both candidates and recruiters. Mya quickly gained an A-list of customers and established itself as a leading AI solutions provider in the recruiting industry. The company has raised $32.4M of venture funding in three rounds from top-tier investors including Emergence Capital and Foundation Capital. Mya has garnered industry recognition and awards from CB Insights AI 100, Bersin by Deloitte’s 2017 Disruptions Report, Recruiter.com’s Top 10 Recruiting Tools, and Kairos Society’s K50, among others.

Contacts

for Mya Systems
Audrey Webb, +1-408-472-2603
audrey.webb@verizon.net

Permalink : https://www.aetoswire.com/news/mya-industryrsquos-leading-conversational-ai-recruiter-takes-market-by-storm-adds-120-enterprise-customers-including-40-of-fortune-500-in-under-two-years/en

Xoom Partners with Ria Money Transfer to Accelerate Global Expansion in 86 Countries

PayPal’s international remittance provider to serve over 130 countries globally through new collaboration

SAN JOSE, Calif.-Tuesday 28 August 2018 [ AETOS Wire ]

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Xoom, PayPal’s international money transfer service, today announced a partnership with Ria, a subsidiary of Euronet Worldwide and a global leader in money remittances, to offer Xoom customers cash pick-up service at more than 150,000 of Ria’s international network locations. Through this partnership, Xoom is significantly increasing its presence in Eastern Europe and Africa, so customers in the United States can now send money to 70% of countries around the world by simply going online or using a mobile phone.

“Partnering with Ria allows us to grow our global footprint and significantly expand our services in the African diaspora and across Eastern Europe, which is a tremendous landmark for Xoom,” said Julian King, Xoom’s Vice President and General Manager. “With this expansion, Xoom now offers service to over 130 countries globally, including many countries that have limited access to digital remittance services. These customers now have a fast, secure, reliable and convenient way to send money to loved ones around the world.”

“Ria has developed an extensive physical network and a best-in-class compliance program and cutting-edge technology,” added Juan Bianchi, President and CEO of Ria. “Ria’s partnership with Xoom is another great example of how Euronet’s core assets can help other fintech and payment companies enhance their value proposition and accelerate their speed to market in our fast-paced industry.”

Established in 2001 and acquired by PayPal in 2015, Xoom is a fast and secure way to send money, pay bills and reload phones for loved ones in more than 130 countries globally. These remittances serve as a lifeline for many people around the world and are used to pay for things like utility bills, healthcare, education costs and emergencies. By providing fast and secure payment options for customers to seamlessly send money across borders by going online or using a mobile device, PayPal and Xoom are helping to expand and improve the financial health of millions of people worldwide.

To send money internationally in a few simple steps, download Xoom’s mobile app on Android and iOS or go to xoom.com.

About PayPal

Fueled by a fundamental belief that having access to financial services creates opportunity, PayPal (NASDAQ: PYPL) is committed to democratizing financial services and empowering people and businesses to join and thrive in the global economy. Our open digital payments platform gives PayPal’s 244 million active account holders the confidence to connect and transact in new and powerful ways, whether they are online, on a mobile device, in an app, or in person. Through a combination of technological innovation and strategic partnerships, PayPal creates better ways to manage and move money, and offers choice and flexibility when sending payments, paying or getting paid. Available in more than 200 markets around the world, the PayPal platform, including Braintree, Venmo and Xoom, enables consumers and merchants to receive money in more than 100 currencies, withdraw funds in 56 currencies and hold balances in their PayPal accounts in 25 currencies. For more information on PayPal, visit https://www.paypal.com/about. For PayPal financial information, visit https://investor.paypal-corp.com.

About Ria

Ria, a subsidiary of Euronet Worldwide, Inc. (NASDAQ: EEFT), is a global leader in money remittances. Ria offers fast, secure, affordable money transfers through a network of approximately 355,000 global agents spanning 150 countries and online at www.riamoneytransfer.com. The company is steadfast in its commitment to its customers and remains ingrained within the communities in which they live. For more information visit www.corporate.riafinancial.com.

Contacts

PayPal
Erin Mackey, +1-908-295-9083
emackey@paypal.com

Permalink : https://www.aetoswire.com/news/xoom-partners-with-ria-money-transfer-to-accelerate-global-expansion-in-86-countries/en

Mobile, Content, Media and Entertainment Industries Set to Convene in LA for 2018 “Gsma Mobile World Congress Americas, in Partnership With CTIA”

Speakers from Hulu, IdeaLab, Pandora, Vice International and WURL Confirmed for Conference; GSMA Announces Additional Details on Exhibition, Events and Partner Programs

ATLANTA-Tuesday 28 August 2018 [ AETOS Wire ]

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- With two weeks left until the 2018 Mobile World Congress Americas, the GSMA announced further details on the event, including recently confirmed speakers, exhibitors and sponsors, as well as updates on programs and activities at the show. Mobile World Congress Americas will take place September 12-14, 2018 at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles.

“In just a few weeks, global leaders from the mobile technology and content, media and entertainment industries will converge in Los Angeles,” said Michael O’Hara, Chief Marketing Officer, GSMA. “Over three days, the spotlight will be on the exciting new opportunities delivered through mobile technology, not just in media and entertainment, but in many other areas that touch citizens’ everyday lives. Attendees will truly have the opportunity to imagine a better future.”

“Los Angeles is a global capital for media, entertainment and innovation — and the perfect home for Mobile World Congress Americas,” said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. “We are excited to partner with GSMA to give pathbreaking startups and established players an opportunity to exchange ideas, explore new inventions and showcase the future of mobile technology.”

Latest Additions to Keynote Program

The GSMA announced several additional keynote speakers for the Mobile World Congress Americas conference program, with leaders from a wide range of organizations across mobile, content, media and entertainment, including:

Bill Gross, Chairman, IdeaLab

Esther Wojcicki, Journalist and Educator

Roger Lynch, CEO, Pandora

Dominique Delport, President of International, Vice International

Darcy Antonellis, CEO, VUBIQUITY

Sean Doherty, CEO, WURL, Inc.

CTIA President and CEO Meredith Attwell Baker will open CTIA’s policy sessions at Mobile World Congress Americas with a keynote address on Wednesday, September 12. The CTIA policy track will also include keynote remarks from David Redl, NTIA Assistant Secretary and Administrator and Brendan Carr, Mike O’Rielly and Jessica Rosenworcel, FCC Commissioners.

Beyond the keynote program, the three-day Mobile World Congress Americas conference will offer focused track sessions on a range of subjects, such as 5G, artificial intelligence (AI) blockchain, connected cars, the Internet of Things (IoT) and media, content and entertainment, among others. Newly confirmed conference speakers include:

Reagan Feeney, Vice President, Content Partnerships, Hulu

Gayle Troberman, Chief Marketing Officer, iHeartMedia

Trina Van Pelt, Vice President of Intel Capital and Group Managing Director, Intel

Trevor Fellows, Executive Vice President of Digital Partnerships, NBC

Gary Brotman, Head of AI and Machine Learning Product Management, Qualcomm

Rob Wilmoth, Principal Solutions Architect, Red Hat

For more information on the conference, including the agenda and complete speaker list, visit https://www.mwcamericas.com/conference-programs/

GSMA Summits at Mobile World Congress Americas

Mobile World Congress Americas will also include a series of GSMA Summits that explore a wide range of topics across mobile technology, media, content, sports, healthcare and diversity, among others.

Future Digital Health Summit

On Wednesday, September 12, the Future Digital Health Summit will showcase emerging trends and the latest innovations in mobile healthcare, with speakers including:

Ronan Wisdom, Global Lead, Connected Health, Accenture

Haley Sulser, Director of Operations, Greater New Orleans Health Information Exchange (GNOHIE)

Ali Modaressi, Executive Director, Los Angeles Network for Enhanced Services (LANES)

Harrison Lung, Partner, McKinsey & Company

Women4Tech Summit

Taking place on Thursday, September 13, the Women4Tech Summit will highlight leading practices and creative solutions to increase diversity in the workplace. New speakers confirmed for the Women4Tech Summit include:

Andrea Rey, Partner, EY

Rachel Samrén, EVP Chief External Affairs Officer, Millicom

Glenn Lurie, CEO, Synchronoss

For complete information on the GSMA Summits, visit www.mwcamericas.com/conference-programs/summits/.

The GSMA Innovation City – Focus on Intelligent Connectivity

The GSMA Innovation City returns to Mobile World Congress Americas for a second year, showcasing how intelligent connectivity – leveraging 5G, the IoT, AI and big data – is impacting and improving the lives of citizens, enterprises and governments around the world. Visitors will experience the impact of intelligent connectivity across sectors including entertainment, transportation, public services and industry, among others. Located in the LACC’s South Hall, the City features cutting-edge demonstrations from leading industry brands as well as GSMA programmes including Identity, Internet of Things, Future Networks and #BetterFuture. For more information on the Innovation City, visit www.mwcamericas.com/exhibition/gsma-innovation-city/.

200 Companies to Participate at 4YFN Startup Event

Featuring exhibits, inspirational presentations, incubator activities, networking events, the 4YFN Americas Startup Awards and more, the 4YFN Startup Event will gather over 200 companies from around the globe, including innovative tech startups, venture capital firms and companies in verticals such as legal and fintech, among others. The GSMA announced several new speakers for the 4YFN Summit, including:

Jason Lawrence Nazar, Co-Founder and CEO, Comparably

Robyn Ward, CEO, FounderForward

Howard G. Wright, Vice President, Intel Corporation

Neda Amidi, Partner, Plug & Play Ventures

Steven Sprague, CEO, RivetzCorp

For more information on 4YFN at Mobile World Congress Americas, visit: www.4yfn.com/event/4yfn-americas-2018/

Additional Exhibitors, Sponsors at Mobile World Congress Americas

Amazon, BMW, Tata Communications Transformation Services, T-Mobile USA and Vodafone America are among the latest companies confirmed to participate at Mobile World Congress Americas, joining previously announced brands including: Accenture, American Express OPEN, ARM, Cisco, Dell, Ericsson, G+D Mobile Security, Gemalto, Google, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, IBM, Infosys, Mastercard, McAfee, NBC Universal, Nokia Solutions, Samsung Networks, Sprint, Synchronoss, Syniverse, TELUS, Verizon Wireless, VMware and others. For more information on the Mobile World Congress Americas exhibition, visit: www.mwcamericas.com/exhibition/.

IMPACT Growth, RobotUnion and Türk Telekom have signed on as 4YFN Supporting Sponsors, and the GSMA also announced several new sponsors for the Mobile World Congress Americas event themes. Oracle is the Headline Sponsor and VMware is the Associate Sponsor of the Network Industry Theme; Micron Technology is the Headline Sponsor and DMI is the Supporting Sponsor of the Connected Vehicles Theme; and Ericsson has signed on as the IoT Theme Supporting Sponsor. For a complete list of event sponsors and partners, visit: www.mwcamericas.com/about/sponsors-partners/.

New Partner Programs and Power Hours

Leading organizations from across the mobile ecosystem including A+E Networks, Automotive Edge Computing Consortium, Conduent, the Global Certification Forum, IBM Security, James Brehm & Associates, The Mobile Growth House and Route Mobile will be presenting Partner Programs and Power Hour sessions at Mobile World Congress Americas. For complete details, visit: www.mwcamericas.com/conference-programs/partner-programs.

Industry Experts to Lead Mobile World Congress Americas Tours

The Mobile World Congress Americas Tours will lead attendees on a curated experience focusing on specific topics from 5G to smart cities, among others. Mobile World Congress Americas will offer the following topic tours, guided by industry experts:

5G and NFV Tour with Dr. Nishith Tripath of Award Solutions

Business Transformation Tour with Russ Edwards of Award Solutions

Emerging Tech Tour with Manolo Almagro of Q Division

IoT Tour with Sylwia Kechiche of the GSMA Intelligence

Sustainable Smart Cities Tour with Jonas Allen of Green Electronics Council

For more information, including how to register for a tour, visit: www.mwcamericas.com/experiences/topic-tours/

Get Involved at Mobile World Congress Americas 2018

More information on Mobile World Congress Americas 2018, including how to attend, exhibit or sponsor, is available at www.mwcamericas.com. Follow developments and updates on Mobile World Congress Americas on Twitter @GSMA using #MWCA18, on our LinkedIn Mobile World Congress Americas page https://www.linkedin.com/company/gsma-mobile-world-congress-americas or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/MWCAmericas/. For additional information on GSMA social channels, visit http://www.mwcamericas.com/.

About the GSMA

The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide, uniting nearly 800 operators with more than 300 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset and device makers, software companies, equipment providers and internet companies, as well as organisations in adjacent industry sectors. The GSMA also produces industry-leading events such as Mobile World Congress, Mobile World Congress Shanghai, Mobile World Congress Americas and the Mobile 360 Series of conferences.

For more information, please visit the GSMA corporate website at www.gsma.com. Follow the GSMA on Twitter: @GSMA.

About CTIA

CTIA® (www.ctia.org) represents the U.S. wireless communications industry and the companies throughout the mobile ecosystem that enable Americans to lead a 21st century connected life. The association’s members include wireless carriers, device manufacturers, suppliers as well as apps and content companies. CTIA vigorously advocates at all levels of government for policies that foster continued wireless innovation and investment. The association also coordinates the industry’s voluntary best practices, hosts educational events that promote the wireless industry and co-produces the industry’s leading wireless tradeshow. CTIA was founded in 1984 and is based in Washington, D.C.

Contacts

Media Contacts

For the GSMA:

Amelise Lane

alane@webershandwick.com

+1.212.546.7830

or

Ivette López

ilopez@gsma.com

+1.678.429.5066

or

GSMA Press Office

pressoffice@gsma.com

or

For CTIA:

Justin Cole

jcole@ctia.org

+1.202.313.2439

or

Jilane Petrie

jrpetrie@ctia.org

+1.714.815.3120

Permalink : https://www.aetoswire.com/news/mobile-content-media-and-entertainment-industries-set-to-convene-in-la-for-2018-ldquogsma-mobile-world-congress-americas-in-partnership-with-ctiardquo/en

Restoration and Technological Developments Spur Significant Expansion and Growth Opportunities for the Iraq Packaged Foods Market

Restoring the agro-food Industry is going to be an essential component of reconstruction efforts in Iraq, notes Frost & Sullivan’s Food Practice

Dubai, United Arab Emirates-Tuesday 28 August 2018 [ AETOS Wire ]

Iraq is among the most non-developed countries in the agro-food industry across Middle East and North Africa. The country lost its glory owing to the wars in the last 2 decades, extremist conflicts, drought and past sanctions. The development of the agro-food industry slowed since 2003 and the country depended on imports to cater to its essential needs. Many SMEs have either closed down or operating at only 20-30% of their capacity due to restrictions which hamper their productivity.

Now that the ISIS conflicts have subsided, stabilisation and humanitarian efforts are being taken, along with budgets allocated by large international financiers (Word Bank, IMF, etc.). These measures are expected to revitalize the sector. Food security, self-sufficiency, benefit for poor population in both rural and urban areas are some of the key objectives of Iraqi agro-food policies, as part of the 2018/19 Budget.

As a part of the agro-foods industry, the Iraq packaged foods sector has great potential to grow. Iraq’s population is expected to boom, reaching over 47 million people by 2025, and perhaps as much as 50 million by 2035. Besides, factors like large youth population, rise in GDP per capita and ongoing security stabilization programs are expected to drive the packaged foods market in Iraq. Most importantly, Iraq hosts more than 20 million Shia pilgrims every year which increases the market to more than 60 million people.

“Canned foods, semi-prepared meals, cereals, pasta, pickles, snacks and confectioneries are expected to grow at CAGR of 8-10% within the next 5 years. Flour-based products, dairies, chocolates & confectionary products, canned food, processed meat, tomato pastes and sauces accounted for over 70% of the total packaged food market in Iraq,” said Ali Mirmohammad, Sr. Consultant and Business Development Manager at Frost & Sullivan.

For more information on this analysis and to access the info graphics, click here.

“Poverty reduction and food security programs supported by World Bank and IMF to raise household disposable incomes and reduce the unemployment rate among youth population are key market drivers for the packaged foods market in the next 5 years. As a result, it is expected that the quality will be more important than price among mid-level citizens. Western tastes, beside quality of packaging and more natural tastes are going to be more important among youth population in Iraq”, said Mirmohammad. “The Iraqi food market craves for western style supermarkets and large fast food chain services in large cities like Baghdad, Basra and KRG region”.

In spite of the challenges of doing business in Iraq, it calls for emerging investment opportunities from global players. Renovations, technology upgradation, modern management and appropriate supply chain systems are key development factors for the Iraqi packaged food industry. Apart from that, the country needs billions of dollars investment as an immediate outlay to develop relevant infrastructures such as water, electricity, transportation fleets, warehouses, cold storages, etc.

Food security and unemployment being major concerns, the Government plans to support local manufacturing and cut imports by at least 30-35% within the next 5 years. Currently, the country imports more than USD 6 billion of agro-food products (both officially and under the table cross border supplies) from neighbours as local manufacturing cannot meet more than 20-25% of domestic demand. Insufficient agricultural feedstock, expensive logistics and lack of liquidity is the reason for local food companies to lack a competitive edge over international rivals.

The initial plan is to leverage managerial and technological leadership of global players to revitalise local manufacturing facilities in dates pressing, dairies, vegetable oils, flour mills, pasta, canned and frozen foods, bottled water, soft drinks and bread products. An attractive legal framework has been established for greater protection and incentives for new investors. To facilitate investment, the National Investment Law 13 (2006) has been amended to allow non-Iraqis to own land, as well as investment partnerships with state-owned enterprises. The same law exempts foreign companies from tax for up to 10 years and import fees for a period of three years.

Post the ISIS war, the outlook for foreign direct investment in Iraq is expected to improve with strengthened security and a more normalised business environment. Consequently, both regional and global alliances will support the country in its reconstruction efforts are this is expected to drive the economy’s growth in the mid-term. As a result, Iraq can be an important emerging market destination for regional and global players; however, having a good market share requires a great understanding of the socio-cultural composition besides religion and taste factors.   

Frost & Sullivan recently came out with a thought leadership document titled “Iraq’s Untapped Opportunities; Path to Investment Boom” highlighting the country’s economic growth across various sectors. Click here to view the press release of this analysis. The document also covers the packaged foods market in Iraq which has great potential, attracting immense investment opportunities from global companies.

If you are interested in gaining more information on Iraq’s packaged food market and speaking with our experts, please feel free to get in touch with me at achandhoke@frost.com.

About Frost & Sullivan

For over five decades, Frost & Sullivan has become world-renowned for its role in helping investors, corporate leaders and governments navigate economic changes and identify disruptive technologies, Mega Trends, new business models and companies to action, resulting in a continuous flow of growth opportunities to drive future success. Contact us: Start the discussion.

Twitter: @Frost_Sullivan & @Frost_MENASA

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/frostandsullivan

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/frost-&-sullivan-%E2%80%93-middle-east-north-africa-south-asia/

Contacts

Anita Chandhoke

Corporate Communications - MEA

E: achandhoke@frost.com

http://ww2.frost.com

Permalink : https://www.aetoswire.com/news/restoration-and-technological-developments-spur-significant-expansion-and-growth-opportunities-for-the-iraq-packaged-foods-market/en