When Miguel Vicedo was a graduate engineering student in Chicago, he attended a career fair with one idea in mind: the bigger, the better. Large companies, from his perspective, meant large opportunities, especially for someone from a small town who longed to travel and experience different cultures.

Vicedo met a recruiter from GE Vernova and considered how the company checked all the boxes. It was multifaceted and international, a massive business producing giant machines. Sign me up, he said.

A high-rise Central Bank Tower under construction in Baghdad. A new port in Basra. A transborder road network that could be the next gateway between Asia and Europe. At construction sites across Iraq, cranes and backhoes are marking a new chapter in the country’s future: After a period of conflict and unrest, Iraq is moving forward to reclaim its economic potential.