Iraq Business News brings you the latest news on developments and opportunities in leisure and tourism industries in Iraq.
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 […]
The number of tourists visiting Kurdistan on the third day of Nawroz, the Kurdish New Year, reached 112,000 on Friday, about double the number who visite last year's celebrations, according to a report from AKnews. Friday’s figures mean an increase of about 36% from the first day of Nawroz when 82,000 tourists visited the region. […]
Three sports stadiums are set to be built in Baghdad under plans announced by Kamel Braihi, the director of the engineering and technical department in Iraq's Ministry of Youth and Sports, reports AKnews. He said the three stadiums, to be built to international standards, will be constructed in Sadr City, Rusafa and Tajiyyat. The contract for […]
As part of the celebrations for Baghdad being named as the capital of Arab culture for 2013, Iraq will invest 5 billion Iraqi dinars ($4.2 million) in its film industry, according to a report from Variety Arabia. Dr Shafiq Mahdi, the director general of the department of Cinema and Theatre, announced that the department has approved […]
Normally thousands of Iranian tourists arrive in Karbala daily. But as Western sanctions on Iran hit, pilgrims are staying at home. And the ones that do come are not shopping. Karbala’s merchants say they’re facing financial ruin, according to this article from NIQASH. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily […]
The Government of the United States and the Government of Iraq strongly support the preservation and expression of Iraq’s rich heritage, the establishment of a strong Iraqi education system at all levels, and the continuation of robust educational, cultural, and professional exchanges between our nations. The U.S.-Iraq Joint Coordinating Committee on Cultural and Educational Cooperation […]
Seventeen stadiums in Iraqi Kurdistan are to be renovated, and new sports centres will be created, at a total cost of 20 billion Iraqi dinars ($17m), reports AKnews. 4.6 billion Iraqi dinars ($3.9m) will be used to refurbish stadiums in and around Erbil, while 991 million Iraqi dinars ($850,000) will go towards renovating Sulaimaniya stadium; […]
The Kurdistan Regional Government's (KRG) Minister of Sports and Youth, Kawa Mahmoud, has announced that Spanish soccer club Real Madrid is to open four soccer schools in the region. According to a report from AKnews, the opening of the schools has been seen by officials in Kurdistan Region as a significant project that will greatly […]
The foundation stone of a five star hotel and shopping center was laid in Kirkuk on Wednesday, according to AKnews. The mall and hotel, the first project of its kind in the city, will cost $31.58m (36.8 billion Iraqi dinars). Construction will take over three years and will be undertaken by the Rekani company, based […]
The Iranian currency, the toman, or rial, has lost half its value against the Iraqi dinar in recent weeks following U.S. and European sanctions, according to a report from Azzaman. Iraqi traders welcomed the slump saying it has made the import of Iranian goods much cheaper than before. In the holy cities of Najaf and […]
