“Two years ago, I wouldn’t even have spent the budget to attend this show,” says Jaguar Land Rover’s Diyar Barwary. “But since last year it’s clear that Iraq’s government is open to spending more money on defence.” 

At the annual iqdex defence show in Baghdad, the buzzing and roaring of sand buggies and Humvees is proof that all-terrain fighting vehicles are particularly popular this year. Iraq’s army, police and various militias all need equipment, and a growing array of businesses is keen to supply it. While government…