BAGHDAD, March 2 (Reuters) - Just emerging from years of war and sanctions,
Iraq now hopes to lure foreign expertise and investment to help rebuild its
battered infrastructure.
The country has major oil deals in the pipeline, but analysts say it must grow its non-oil sectors if it is to have a viable economy and reduce unemployment, which is still high seven years after the U.S. invasion.
Last November, Iraq passed a law that would allow foreigners to own land for housing projects, key to attracting the cash needed to build hundreds of thousands of new homes.
Although deals worth billions have been announced, there has been little evidence of work on the ground.
Violence has fallen sharply in Iraq in the last two years, but ongoing attacks may deter some investors. Iraq's commercial, legal, and regulatory frameworks are still largely untested.
The following are details of non-oil deals announced or in the pipeline, culled from Reuters stories and from websites concerned with doing business in Iraq.