On 29 and 30 September 2026, the Embassy of Italy in Baghdad, in cooperation with the Italian Trade Agency and the Iraqi Engineers Union, organized the Baghdad edition of Italian Design Day 2026, dedicated to the theme “Giardini all’Italiana” – Italian Gardens.
The opening session on 29 September was attended by the Ambassador of Italy to Iraq, Niccolò Fontana, and Eng. Thulfiqar Hoshi Al-Makssousi, President of the Iraqi Engineers Union, together with members of the Union, architects, engineers and professionals active in the fields of design, landscape architecture and urban development.
The two-day initiative featured Antonio Mati and Francesco Mati of Giardini Mati 1909, a historic Italian company from Pistoia with more than a century of experience in plants, landscape design and the creation and maintenance of gardens. During the technical sessions, the Italian experts presented the tradition and principles of the Italian garden and shared their experience with Iraqi professionals on landscape design, sustainable green spaces and their application to the Iraqi urban environment.
In his remarks, Ambassador Fontana highlighted the value of design as a combination of creativity, technical expertise, functionality and sustainability, while stressing the opportunities to further strengthen cooperation between Italian and Iraqi professionals in the context of Iraq’s ongoing urban development and modernization.
The programme provided an important opportunity for direct dialogue and professional exchange between Italian experts and Iraqi engineers and architects, with particular attention to the role of green spaces and landscape design in improving the quality and sustainability of urban environments.
The initiative concluded on 30 September with the presentation of certificates to the participants, marking the successful completion of two days of technical sessions, professional exchange and dialogue between Italian and Iraqi experts.
Italian Design Day is an annual initiative promoted by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation to showcase Italian design and expertise worldwide and to foster dialogue and cooperation between Italian professionals and their international counterparts.
