Iraq Business News brings you the latest news on developments and opportunities in leisure and tourism industries in Iraq.
Babylon Province is to receive 100bn dinars ($85m) as it is named Iraq's archaeological and historical capital. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki approved the funding for reconstructing historical sites, infrastracture and hotels. Ultimately, the goal is to attract tourists to the region, which hosts the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon, where the Hanging Gardens […]
By John Lee. The General Secretariat for the Council of Ministers has announced that it will form a committee headed by the Minister of Sciences and Technology Dr. Abdul-Kareem Al-Samarrai, to restore the Minaret Mosque in Samarra (pictured). The Director of Samarra’ Endowments, the Director of the Province’s Antiquities, and the province's Budget Director will […]
By John Lee. The Kurdistan Region's Tourism Board has announced plans to develop 53 tourist sites in the region, including the Bekhal Resort. Designs for some of the sites have already been completed, according to a report from AKnews. Mawlawi Jabar, Head of the board, said that companies from Lebanon and Austria are undertaking the […]
By John Lee. The Baghdad Investment Commission has granted investment licenses for a five-star hotel, complete with shopping mall, in the Karrada area of central Baghdad. The Head of the Commission, Shaker al-Zamili [Shaker al-Zamili, Shaker A Shabib] (pictured), said the hotel will be sited in Masbeh Street, and will also include an information center, […]
By John Lee. Basra Investment Commission (BIC) has granted an investment licence for a $162-million tourism project in central Basra. Khalaf al-Badran (pictured), Chairman of the BIC, said: "The license for the 'Basra Times Square' project was granted to Dier Company for Contracts ... This project will achieve great benefit and will be a remarkable […]
By John Lee. Tourism in the Kurdistan Region is up 75 percent in the last six months in comparison to last year. A spokesperson for the region's Investment Board expects 2.5m tourists to visit in 2012, up from 1.7 million in 2011. According to the report from AKnews, Kurdistan has 370 hotels, 180 motels, 970 […]
By John Lee. Hilton Worldwide has announced expansion plans in Iraqi Kurdistan with the signing of a management agreement with the Mihtab Group to develop the first Hilton Hotels & Resorts property in the rapidly growing city of Erbil. The 300-room Hilton Erbil Hotel & Spa, which is expected to open in 2016, will be the […]
By Michael Aron, Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Iraq. This article was originally published by Rudaw, and is re-published with permission by Iraq Business News. Rather than the usual one or two day visit to Erbil, I have just spent a week in Kurdistan Region travelling to Suleymaniya, Dohuk, Soran and Shanidar. What a […]
Coral Hotels & Resorts, announced its plans to open Coral Boutique Hotel Baghdad in Iraq. The deluxe property will be operated by Coral under a management agreement with United Iraqi Trading Company. Situated in the heart of Baghdad in one of most prestigious avenues inJadriya area, the Coral Boutique Hotel Baghdad is merely 5 kilometers […]
Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide has signed an agreement with BCD Co. to manage a new-build Sheraton hotel in Erbil, Iraq. Scheduled to open in 2015, the Sheraton Erbil Hotel will mark the re-entry of Starwood in the country after 20 years. Located in the new part of the city, approximately 10 minutes from Erbil […]
Najaf Investment Committee has approved ed four new investment licences in the areas of tourism, agriculture and entertainment, worth a total of $ 78.7 million (91.7 billion IQD): an agricultural project to create an integrated farm that includes the cultivation of palm trees, olive trees and seasonal crops in addition to housing livestock of all […]
Azzaman reports that the holy city of Najaf has turned into a hub for foreign investments, mainly in areas of housing and tourism, as numbers of foreign pilgrims to the city surge. The head of Najaf Investment Commission, Wafi al-Bahhash, said an estimated $7 billion had been invested, adding that his commission granted new licences […]
