By John Lee. Nassiriya suffers from a lack of facilities for family entertainment, which force most families to go to other provinces, mainly during eids and other holidays. Analysts and activists accuse the government of disregarding violation of "green zones" in Iraq. The Iraqi Housing Director, Bassam al-Jaberi, told Aswat al-Iraq news agency: "Nine years […]
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.
UNESCO to Protect Leaning Minaret
By John Lee. UNESCO's Iraq Office and the Governorate of Ninewa signed an agreement to start a project under which UNESCO will carry out a complete set of studies to protect one of the region's historical icons: Al Hadba Minaret. After several meetings and an expert mission, UNESCO Iraq Director Mohamed Djelid met on Friday, […]
Harley-Davidson Eyes Libya and Iraq
By John Lee. The regional head of motorcycle maker Harley-Davidson has told told Arabian Business that the company is planning to boost its dealerships in the Middle Eastern countries including Libya and Iraq. “The new showroom in Doha opened its doors just over a month ago, and the new Abu Dhabi and Algeria showrooms will […]
Tags: Harley-Davidson
Ancient Babylon To Be Restored For Tourists
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 […]
Minaret Mosque in Samarra to be Restored
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 […]
Kurdistan Region Invests in Tourism
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 […]
New $60m 5-Star Hotel for Baghdad
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, […]
$162m "Basra Times Square" Project Gets Green Light
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 […]
Tourism Up 75% in Kurdistan
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 […]
Tags: Kurdistan News, tourism
Hilton Announces New 300-room Hotel in Erbil
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 […]
British Ambassador’s Notebook: A Week in Kurdistan Region
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 […]
Tags: Kurdistan News, Michael Aron
Coral Boutique Hotel to Open in Baghdad
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 […]