Daimler To Open Office in Iraq
May 07, 2008

Daimler AG, after a 20-year absence, plans to open an office in Baghdad by year-end, a display of confidence that Iraq is stabilizing.

A Daimler spokesperson told various media outlets Tuesday that the office is intended to establish the German auto and truck maker’s corporate presence in Iraq more than generate immediate sales.

Daimler has no forecast for when it will begin selling cars and trucks in Iraq. Instead, it will discuss projects with potential partners.

Commercial truck sales are a likely first step as Mercedes-Benz trucks are already popular in the country. Daimler was considering truck production in Iraq in 1990 when Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait, halting any plans to do so.

Daimler is among the first Western companies to announce plans to return to Iraq other than oil companies. The U.S. and Iraq have been wooing businesses to invest in the country. They approached about 30 companies to consider doing business in Iraq. Daimler was among them. Company executives have made numerous visits to various parts of Iraq over the past year or so, according to media reports.

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