SACE, Italy’s Export Credit Agency, and GKSD, leading global provider of planning, development and management of projects, ranging from construction works and acquisitions to medical and research activities, advisory services and consultancies, announce the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding to establish a potential cooperation in a number of projects across Iraq.

The Agreement - signed today at SACE premises in Rome by Alessandra Ricci, SACE Chief Executive Officer, and Khamel Ghribi, GKSD President and Paolo Rotelli, GKSD Vice President- aims to strengthen and enhance the cooperation between GKSD and SACE in a diversified range of high social impact sectors, including waste-to-energy management, hospitals, housing and associated facilities as well as other building projects and to encourage trade between Italy and Iraq as a whole. This partnership will help SACE to identify future opportunities in the region where GKSD with Italian suppliers can bring substantial benefits.

"Today we are signing an important step toward a partnership that, we are confident, will bring opportunities and long-term development for both Italian companies and Iraq, with real benefits both for the communities and the collective well-being", said Alessandra Ricci, CEO of SACE. "The agreement provides with the groundwork to intensify business between the two countries, it will allow Italian companies in Iraq to participate in the development of important projects in the field of infrastructure and energy with a significant social impact and it highlights once again our role in the sustainable growth of Italian companies all over the world."

“Iraq has experienced a long season of crisis and insecurity, from which it is emerging thanks to the government, which is strongly committed to restoring stability to the country and it is in this new setting that the several opportunities for Italian companies must be evaluated. GKSD Investment Holding, with its particular know-how in the healthcare field, can actively contribute to the rebirth of the country and to the reorganization of its health system, starting first of all from the urgent need for infrastructures and new constructions, but also management and medical and scientific expertise", said Kamel Ghribi, President of GKSD Investment Holding and Vice President of the San Donato Group.