Bechtel executives recently held a meeting with officials of the Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CSCCI) to explore participation of Saudi companies in the projects.

The CSCCI said Bechtel wants Saudi firms to provide it with documents proving their credentials to consider them for various projects including supply of products and services.

Bechtel has won a major contract for infrastructure projects in Iraq.

Informed sources at the CSCCI said serious efforts were under way to include Saudi companies in the reconstruction work.

Projects to meet the immediate necessities of Iraqis include drinking water pipelines, water tanks and medical centers, while long-term projects are related to electricity generation and road construction.

The sources said participation of Saudi contractors in Iraq projects would help to increase the Kingdom’s exports to the neighboring country.

As part of the CSCCI’s efforts to mobilize support for Saudi companies, Dr. Fahd Al-Sultan, secretary-general of the organization, recently met with US Ambassador Robert Jordan. The ambassador said Saudi contractors would have a special place in the reconstruction projects.

Meanwhile, the UAE has called on the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to form a unified body to handle the reconstruction of Iraq.

“The UAE is ready to deal with coalition forces in reconstructing Iraq. However, we hope that a unified GCC body comes together to handle this matter,” Abdullah Al-Kharji, deputy head of the UAE Chamber of Commerce and Industry, told Deutsche Presse-Agentur.