01Manufacturing
01 / 05
Manufacturing
Factory relocation and joint ventures, industrial-zone land, permits, utilities and local staffing for production lines in Iraq.
Baghdad · Est. 2023
China to Iraq.Handled on the ground.
Golden Development Port is the Iraqi partner that takes Chinese manufacturers, machinery suppliers, contractors and oil-service companies from first enquiry to operating inside Iraq — registration, tenders, partners, workforce and logistics, coordinated from Baghdad.
Shanghai → BaghdadPVG BGWOne route. One partner.
Chief Executive Officer
Isam AldeenFounder & Chief Executive Officer · Baghdad
Why Iraq, why now
A country rebuilding everything at once.
Iraq is repairing and expanding its factories, roads, housing, water and power grid in the same decade — and it imports most of the machinery and materials to do it. For Chinese industry that is demand, not a forecast.
47Mpeople (World Bank, 2025)
$104bnimports of goods & services (World Bank, 2024)
~3%annual electricity demand growth (IEA, to 2028)
Reconstruction on every front
Housing, roads, bridges, hospitals and industrial zones are being built or rebuilt across the country, funded by oil revenue and public programmes.
A structural power gap
Iraq still lacks generation capacity and grid reliability. Generators, transformers, substations and solar are bought every year, not once.
Oil & gas keeps investing
Field development and refining need equipment, EPC contractors and service crews — and the Ministry of Oil keeps its vendor lists open to new suppliers.
Machinery is imported
Excavators, cranes, plant and process equipment come from abroad. Chinese brands already lead on price; the gap is local presence and after-sales.
Who we serve
Five industries. One entry point.
We work with Chinese companies that already export to the Middle East and want a reliable operating base in Iraq — a market rebuilding its factories, roads, housing and energy grid at the same time.
02Heavy machinery
02 / 05
Heavy machinery
Import, registration, rental fleets and after-sales support for excavators, cranes, generators and plant equipment.
03Construction
03 / 05
Construction
Government and private tenders, sub-contracting, materials supply and site coordination for housing, roads and infrastructure.
04Oil & gas
04 / 05
Oil & gas
Vendor registration with operators and the Ministry of Oil, EPC sub-contracts, equipment supply and field-service crews in the south.
05Solar & clean energy
05 / 05
Solar & clean energy
Utility-scale solar, hybrid diesel-solar plants and storage for factories, farms and towns — land, grid connection, permits and EPC partners in a market short of power.
What we do
Six service lines, one coordinator.
Everything a foreign company needs to work in Iraq, delivered by one team that answers on WeChat in the morning and sits in Baghdad ministries in the afternoon.
- 01
Administrative services
- Legal servicesCompany registration, licences, contracts and representation before Iraqi authorities.
- ConsultingMarket entry studies, partner due diligence and tender strategy.
- Tickets & e-visaFlight booking and Iraqi electronic visa applications for your delegations.
- Business tourismSite visits, factory tours and delegation programmes across Iraq.
- 02
Trading & supply
- Construction materialsCement, steel, aggregates and finishing materials to site, on schedule.
- Mechanical equipmentPumps, compressors, plant and process equipment, sourced and delivered.
- GeneratorsDiesel and gas generator sets, installation and maintenance contracts.
- Electrical equipmentTransformers, switchgear, cabling and distribution.
- ElectronicsControl systems, instrumentation and IT hardware for industrial sites.
- 03
Commercial brokerage
- Deal brokerageWe match Chinese suppliers with vetted Iraqi buyers, agents and project owners, and stay in the deal until it closes.
- 04
Human resources
- Workforce supplySkilled and general labour, recruited, documented and managed for your site in Iraq.
- 05
Rental
- Construction machineryExcavators, loaders, cranes and compaction equipment with operators.
- VehiclesPickups, SUVs and staff transport with drivers.
- Transport fleetTrucks, trailers and low-beds for equipment and material movement.
- 06
Contracting
- Mechanical worksPiping, steel structures, equipment installation and maintenance.
- Civil worksFoundations, concrete, roads and site development.
How we work
From first call to operating in Iraq.
Five stops. You decide how far along the route you need us.
- 01
Enquiry & fit
A call on WeChat or WhatsApp. We tell you honestly whether Iraq fits your product and where the demand is.
- 02
Registration & licensing
Company set-up, chamber of commerce, tax and sector registrations — including Ministry of Oil vendor lists.
- 03
Tenders & partners
We find the tender, the local partner or the buyer, and handle the paperwork and the room.
- 04
On the ground
Visas, delegations, site visits, workforce, machinery and materials — coordinated by our team in Baghdad.
- 05
After award
Contract follow-up, payments, logistics, customs and the day-to-day problems that only a local partner can fix.
Working the Chinese way
Built for how Chinese companies actually work.
- 01
Bilingual coordination
Chinese and Arabic on every call, with English in between. No interpreter you have to book.
- 02
WeChat first
Our team runs on WeChat and WhatsApp. You get answers in your working day, not ours.
- 03
Beijing hours covered
Baghdad is 5 hours behind Beijing. We overlap your morning and stay reachable in the evening.
- 04
Documents your side understands
Contracts, quotations and tender files prepared in the format your head office expects, plus the Iraqi originals.
- 05
Delegations hosted end to end
E-visa, airport pickup, hotel, site visits and ministry meetings — one itinerary, one contact.
Typical engagements
What a first year with GDP looks like.
Illustrative scenarios based on the work we do. Client names withheld.
A solar contractor builds its first 50 MW field
Starting point
A signed EPC award for a 50 MW solar field in southern Iraq, with no local entity, land or permits in place.
What GDP does
- Registers the Iraqi branch and Ministry of Electricity vendor status
- Secures the site lease and grid-connection approvals
- Opens the import channel and clears 50 MW of modules and inverters
- Contracts and supervises the local civil and cabling crews
Outcome
Modules and inverters cleared through Umm Qasr, civil works under way with a local sub-contractor, first energisation scheduled with the grid operator.
A machinery supplier sets up sales and rental in Baghdad
Starting point
Units sold through third-party traders, no after-sales, no stock in country, and no visibility on who the end customers are.
What GDP does
- Registers a local trading entity under GDP’s licence
- Imports, registers and insures the first twelve units
- Runs the rental fleet with operators and a parts store
- Reports utilisation and revenue to head office monthly
Outcome
A GDP-run local entity holding a 12-unit rental fleet with operators, a parts store in Baghdad, and monthly reporting to the brand’s regional office.
A construction group wins its first housing package
Starting point
A tender notice, a capable Chinese contractor, and no Iraqi partner, pre-qualification or local bid experience.
What GDP does
- Handles pre-qualification and ministry registrations
- Finds and vets the Iraqi partner the tender requires
- Prepares the bilingual bid and sits in the opening
- Mobilises workforce, machinery and materials to site on award
Outcome
Pre-qualified, partnered with a licensed Iraqi contractor, bilingual bid submitted and opened — GDP then coordinates mobilisation, workforce and materials on award.
Questions Chinese companies ask us
Straight answers.
Not answered here? Book a call — Isam answers these himself.
Can a Chinese company own 100% of an Iraqi entity?
In most sectors, yes — a foreign-owned limited company can be registered. Some public tenders require an Iraqi partner or agent; we tell you which before you commit.
How long does registration take?
Typically several weeks once documents are legalised. The slow part is document legalisation in China; we send you the exact list on day one.
What about visas for our staff?
Iraq issues electronic visas to Chinese nationals. We apply, track and arrange airport reception. Longer stays need residency, which we handle after arrival.
How are payments made?
Bank transfer in USD is standard; local payments in IQD. We advise on the banks, letters of credit and the paperwork Iraqi banks require.
Is it safe to work in Iraq?
Business travel to Baghdad, Basra and Erbil is routine today. We plan movements, use trusted drivers and hotels, and never send a delegation somewhere we would not go ourselves.
Who handles customs and logistics?
We do — clearing agents at Umm Qasr and the land borders, transport to site, and the exemptions available for project equipment.
Do you take a commission or a fee?
Depends on the service: a fixed fee for registration and administrative work, a negotiated share on brokered deals. Always agreed in writing before we start.
Can we start with something small?
Yes. Many clients start with a market visit or a single tender. The route has five stops; you choose how far to go.
About GDP
Built in Baghdad for companies coming from China.
Golden Development Port was founded in 2023 by Isam Aldeen, after years of coordinating Chinese suppliers and Iraqi project owners who kept losing time and money in the gap between them. GDP is that gap, closed: one Iraqi company, licensed for contracting, trading and general services, that represents you before ministries, partners and sites.
We are not a consultancy that sends a report. We register your company, sit in the tender opening, put workers and machines on your site, and stay until the last payment clears.
Contact us
Gateway · Umm Qasr → BaghdadPartners
Who we work with
Fenix TechTechnology partner — software, web and digital systems.
Al-Raeda Insurance BrokerageInsurance partner — cover for machinery, cargo, sites and workforce in Iraq.
Iraqi and Chinese firms that want to be on this line — talk to us. Contact us
Contact
Talk to Baghdad.
Write in English or Chinese. We reply within one working day, Iraq time.
- Phone / WhatsApp+964 773 770 8707
- WeChatesamedin1975
- Emailesam@gdpiraq.com
- OfficeAl-Arasat, Baghdad, Iraq
Sunday – Thursday, 9:00 – 17:00 Baghdad (14:00 – 22:00 Beijing)