Hamed said, “Visitors coming to Erbil are basically from the central and southern cities of Iraq. The Iranians come second, and the Turks come in third place, with some visitors from Lebanon and Gulf countries.” He continued, “There are thousands of Syrian residents who fled to the cities of the Kurdistan region following the events of the Syrian revolution; however, they usually live in rented houses.”
He said, “It is not only about visitors who come to the city and then leave after taking a tour. Officials, businessmen and investors have bought luxury villas in modern complexes and reside with their families in Erbil.” He said, “The price of some of these villas has reached $1 million in Erbil.”
In the passing of only a few months, the appearance of the city has become notably different. According to Iraqi journalist Mazen al-Zaidi, the city is expanding every day, and following a strategic approach to turn into one of the most prominent economic cities in the region.
Zaidi said that he came from Baghdad — where the Mada newspaper for which he works is based — to Erbil for some recreational time earlier in the month. He was surprised by the changes that had taken place in the city, compared with his visit nearly three months ago.
He added: “Some buildings that were still under construction have been completed. I saw projects being launched in other areas. There are a lot of hotels, modern residential complexes and huge shopping centers.”
During the last 10 years, the city has witnessed a huge construction boom embodied by its acquisition of Arab and foreign investments, which has led to the construction of a large number of hotels, commercial and residential complexes, restaurants, hospitals and private schools, as well as a modern network of roads that includes tunnels, bridges and new streets.
Zaidi said that “work does not stop in this city. You can hear the sounds of hammering on giant steel pegs all night, signaling the inauguration of a new construction site.” He added: “I might come back in two or three months to find that the appearance of city has changed. Anyways, this is certainly a development; the city is growing like a human being.”
Omar al-Shaher is a contributor to Al-Monitor’s Iraq Pulse. His writing has appeared in publications including France’s LeMonde, Iraq's Alesbuyia, Egypt’s Al-Ahaly and the Elaph website. He previously covered political and security affairs for Iraq's Al-Mada newspaper.
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