Palestinian engineer keeps Iraq’s textile machinery running

ANBAR — For more than three decades, Mohammed Dheeb Abdel Rabbo, a Palestinian mechanical engineer specializing in textile machinery, has been a key figure in maintaining and modernizing industrial equipment in Iraq. From his workshop in Hit’s Dora neighborhood, he repairs machines that others cannot fix and serves factories in Kadhimiya and beyond.

“I came to Iraq in 1970 and graduated from the University of Baghdad’s College of Engineering in 1990 with a specialization in mechanical textile engineering,” Abdel Rabbo told 964media.

During the period of U.N.-imposed economic sanctions following Iraq’s 1990 invasion of Kuwait, factories faced crippling shortages. In response, Abdel Rabbo helped develop alternatives to imported materials for producing floor coverings, including carpets, moquette, jute mats, and plastic rugs. His expertise landed him work with companies such as Al-Rafidain for Floor Coverings, Al-Shorouq, Al-Ikhlas for Sewing and Knitting, and Al-Balsam for Embroidery.

Economic restrictions during the sanctions period severely impacted Iraq’s industrial production and led to widespread shortages of essential goods, including food, medicine, and industrial materials.

“In recent years, the country’s manufacturing sector has nearly come to a halt, so I turned to small-scale mechanical work,” he said.

Abdel Rabbo is one of the few engineers in Anbar with expertise in flour bag sewing machines used in local mills. He also modifies overlock machines, converting them from five-thread systems to three-thread systems.

In 2012, he installed 30 machines at the Hit Youth Forum free of charge after learning they would be used by widowed women. “I also trained them in maintenance and sewing,” he said.

Currently, he works as a mechanical engineer at Anbar University’s College of Applied Sciences while continuing to repair sewing and industrial machines in his workshop.

“Many machines that others failed to repair, I managed to fix,” he said. “That was the case at the Kadhimiya factory when some machines broke down and operations stopped. I was able to restore them.”

Despite ongoing challenges, Abdel Rabbo’s business remains steady. “I repair various sewing machines, including overlock machines, as well as carpet machines, and I also stock spare parts,” he explained.

Beyond his technical work, Abdel Rabbo admires the strong sense of community in Anbar. “People here help each other and stand together in both joy and hardship. They are kind and humble, and that is what I admire about them.”