On August 1^st, with the strong support of the Karbala provincial government, the staff of ZPEC's Middle Furat Oilfield Project in Iraq went to the holy city of Karbala and set up service points at key road sections to provide free iced drinking water, beverages, fresh fruits, bread, and local traditional foods to Muslim pilgrims coming for the Arbaeen pilgrimage, earning praise from various parties in Iraq.

This year's Arbaeen fell during the hottest season in the region. At 10:00 a.m. on August 1^st, the ZPEC Iraq Middle Furat Oilfield Project staff braved temperatures exceeding 50°C (122°F) to set up social contribution service points in important neighborhoods of Karbala City. The activity received strong support from the Karbala provincial government. Mr. Mohammed, the Governor's Assistant of Karbala and a member of the Social Contribution Committee for the Middle Murat Oilfield Project, coordinated a well-located service point for the project company and jointly carried out on-site services and material distribution with the project staff.

Under the scorching sun, pilgrims, young and old, walked for dozens or even hundreds of kilometers. When they passed by the service point under the ZPEC promotional sign, they received not only a measure of coolness and warmth but also felt the friendliness and sincerity from Chinese enterprises and the Chinese people. Many pilgrims took group photos in front of the service point and said "thank you" in their less-than-fluent Chinese.

After the event, Mohammed stated that ZPEC's Arbaeen social contribution activity was an important support for the holy city of Karbala and a vivid reflection of cultural exchanges between China and Iraq, fully demonstrating ZPEC's sense of responsibility in actively integrating into the local community and respecting religious beliefs and traditional customs. He said that the Karbala provincial government would continue to support ZPEC's oilfield operations and other production and business activities within the province.

It is understood that the Arbaeen is an important religious event for Shia Muslims. Every year, tens of millions of believers from Iraq and around the world travel to Karbala to pay homage at the holy shrines, with many choosing to make the pilgrimage on foot. During the festival, volunteers and social organizations from various places provide pilgrims with food, drinking water, accommodation, and medical services, embodying a strong spirit of religious devotion and social mutual assistance.

(Iraq Oilfield Project Company, Zhang Tiexuan)