The MEED/ITIM trade missions are designed to address the needs of senior executives working in major international corporations seeking professionally organised visits to both countries. The missions will involve confidential meetings with top government officials and senior business people.

The MEED/ITIM International Delegation to Iran will take place on 16-18 June 2002. Meetings have been organised in Tehran with top officials from government agencies, including the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC), National Petroleum Company (NPC), the Central Bank of Iran and government departments in the utilities sector. The mission leader is Terry Stone, director of ABC International and chair of the Middle East regional committee of International Financial Services London.

The MEED/ITIM International IT & Telecom Delegation to Saudi Arabia will take place in September. This will entail visits to major service providers and meetings with large corporations within the kingdom. The delegation will also be meeting senior executives in Saudi Telecom Company (STC).

This is the first time MEED has helped organise trade missions. 'MEED has run major business conferences in Europe, North America and the Middle East and we have noticed the demand for high-quality networking is growing among our customers,' says MEED Publisher Edmund O'Sullivan. 'That is why we are delighted to work with ITIM, a proven trade mission organiser, on these important opportunities for our customers to boost their relationships and sales in two major Middle East economies.'

Dermot Graham, managing director of ITIM, said: 'The association between MEED and ITIM reflects the priority both organisations give to the Middle East, one in terms of publicity and information and the other in terms of access. We at ITIM are delighted with this association and strongly believe the relationship will offer considerable value to all senior executives interested in doing business in this region.'

Previous participants in ITIM Middle East missions include representatives of some of the world's biggest companies. 'This brief mission delivered more contacts than in the previous seven years of working alone and, most important for us, also at senior levels of government,' says Anthony Wildig, Senior Vice-President, New Business Development, Middle East & South Asia, Shell E&P International, a member of the ITIM mission to Qatar in 2001.

Says Paul Waldoch, business director at Air Products, about ITIM's 2001 mission to Saudi Arabia: 'The mission was exceptional value for time and money as the coverage and levels of contacts made would only be achieved via numerous trips over many months.'

For further information contact:

Emilie Carson, MEED/ITIM international missions,

PO Box 33, Tadworth, Surrey KT20 7QE

Tel:00 44 (0) 1737 814000

Fax:00 44 (0) 1737 812020

E-mail:itim@itimworld.com