UAE-based Travel Management Company Sharaf Travel is to open an office in Iraq.
Managing director of Sharaf Travel, V. Jayaram, said the company would open its first office in Baghdad by July.
“We are one of the few agencies who are setting up shop there,” said Jayaram. “We see tremendous potential in Iraq. It’s the right time to move there with the government opening up more now, and more and more airlines flying into the country such as Emirates, Lufthansa, Austrian, Royal Jordanian, Gulf Air.
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"This says a lot, it means that there is a lot of business there and we want to be there as well to take advantage of these opportunities.”
Sharaf Travel will be targeting “corporate houses, government institutions and the armed forces" for travel business.
“Our strength is that we have our office in Dubai because there is currently a lot of travel between Iraq and Dubai, so that will give us an advantage there," said Jayaram.
He added that if the Baghdad branch was a success, further expansion across Iraq could be on the cards. “We could look at Erbil and other cities in Iraq. That’s on the plan depending on how this goes, we don’t want to jump into anything big, we’ll start with Baghdad and gradually move in.”
Sharaf Travel currently has ten locations around the UAE, and has also opened up in Muscat and Mumbai.
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Jun 8, 2010 , United Arab Emirates
Dear Jayaram and SHARAF TRAVEL, Congratulations and a great move. Dynamic managements always look for future oppurtunities and the 1st to move in to Iraq will always have an edge in initial rebuilding years of Iraq economy.