By John Lee. A delegation from the Saudi Arabian government reportedly arrived in Baghdad on Saturday to discuss the construction of a 100,000-seater football stadium. Saudi Arabia’s King Salman promised last March to build a football stadium in Iraq. According to some reports, it was later announced that Saudi Arabia would increase the number of […]
Archive | Leisure and Tourism in Iraq
Iraq Business News brings you the latest news on developments and opportunities in leisure and tourism industries in Iraq.
Rotana announces Five-Star Hotel in Baghdad
By John Lee. UAE-based Rotana Hotels has signed a hotel management agreement with Al Ibaa Company to operate a five-star property in Baghdad. Effective 1 February 2019, Rotana will operate the city’s famed Babylon Hotel under its new brand name Babylon Rotana Baghdad. With a prime location next to the high-security Green Zone, close to […]
Docomo Digital, Zain launch Mobile Gaming in Iraq
By John Lee. Docomo Digital, part of Japan’s NTT Docomo, has said it is launching a mobile gaming platform with Zain Iraq, giving more than 16 million subscribers the ability to access hundreds of titles using direct carrier billing on monthly phone bills. Zain Games’ GamEmpire is a bundle of native and HTML5 games that […]
Kurdistan Tourism to “Double” by 2025
By John Lee. The head of Iraqi Kurdistan’s Board of Tourism has reportedly said that tourism is expected to “approach” 15 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) by 2025. Mawlawi Jabar Wahab told Rudaw that this would be roughly double the sector’s current size. Visitor numbers are now beginning to climb once more, topping three […]
7m Iranians, Iraqis Visit Each Other’s Country Annually
Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said the fact that each year, 7 million Iraqis and Iranians visit each other’s country is a sign of the two neighboring countries’ close ties. Speaking at a meeting with Iraqi Parliament Speaker Mohammed Al-Halbousi in Baghdad on Monday, attended by the chairmen of the Iraqi parliamentary factions, Zarif […]
Video: After Years of Silence, Music fills Streets of Mosul
From AFP. Any opinions expressed are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. For centuries, the Iraqi city of Mosul was a magnet for artists across the region and churned out Iraq’s best musicians — but it suffered a devastating ban on music under the rule of […]
Kurdish Women pedal, dunk, spike as Iraq’s Top Athletes
From AFP. Any opinions expressed are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. In Iraq, the toughest female competitors, best-equipped facilities and most experienced coaches are considered to be in the Kurdish-majority northern region: View on YouTube
Women Wrestlers take on Tradition in South Iraq
From AFP. Any opinions expressed are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Flipping, spinning and pinning each other on the mat, women on Iraq’s first female wrestling squad wrangle in the ring but they also grapple with reactions taking on a sport largely reserved for men […]
Tourism in Kurdistan Region hits Record High
The number of tourists visiting the Kurdistan Region this year reached a record high, according to Mr. Mawlawi Jabar, Chairman of the General Board of Tourism. In an interview with the Kurdistan Regional Government website, Mr. Jabar noted: “In the first six months of 2018, 1.3 million tourists visited the Kurdistan Region, mostly from central […]
Video: Sanctions Prevent Iranians marking Ashoura in Iraq
From Al Jazeera. Any opinions expressed are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. US sanctions have made it too expensive for Iranian Shia Muslims to travel to Iraq to mark Ashoura. Ashoura is a day of remembrance, commemorating the death of Imam Hussein, a grandson of […]
Religious Tourism Suffers from Sanctions on Iran
By Adnan Abu Zeed for Al Monitor. Any opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Iraq’s religious tourism suffers from US sanctions on Iran US economic sanctions on Iran are stemming the flow of religious tourists to neighboring Iraq, even as the Muslim holy month […]
Erbil Stadium to be Sold to Private Investor
By John Lee. Erbil’s main outdoor stadium will reportedly be sold off to a private investor. According to Rudaw, a new stadium will be built on the site of the Franso Hariri Stadium. The existing 28,000-capacity venue was built in 1956 and refurbished in 1992. More here from Rudaw. (Source: Rudaw) (Picture credit: Kushared)