By John Lee. Customers have reportedly expressed widespread satisfaction with the smooth and organized process of dollar distribution at branches of the state-owned Al-Rafidain Bank. The bank says it has been distributing $2,000 per pilgrim at the official rate of 1,320 IQD per dollar, as set by the Central Bank of Iraq (CBI). In a […]
By John Lee. The Central Bank of Iraq (CBI) has announced that pilgrims can purchase dollars through designated banks and companies in Baghdad and other provinces. The process involves exchanging Iraqi dinars for US dollars at the branches of participating banks and companies. Further details and a list of the authorized entities are available on […]
Iran, Iraq Reach Agreement to Issue Low-Cost Visas for Arbaeen Pilgrimage The Iraqi government has reached an agreement with Iranian officials to facilitate the annual Arbaeen pilgrimage, according to Seyyed Majid Mirahmadi, the head of Iran's Central Headquarters of Arbaeen. The agreement includes the issuance of low-cost special visas for Iranian pilgrims to alleviate the […]
By John Lee. Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi has chaired a meeting of the Higher Committee for Health and National Safety in Baghdad. The committee decided that all arriving passengers, including Iraqi nationals, must hold a Covid-19 vaccination certificate. It also decided to end the exemption for umrah pilgrims from the requirement to have a Covid-19 […]
By John Lee. Iraq's Supreme Committee for Health and National Safety has approved the entry of 30,000 thirty thousand visitors from Iran and 10,000 from the rest of the world to attend the Arbaeen pilgrimage later this month in Karbala. Visitors will be required to show evidence of negative PCR test for COVID conducted within […]
By Hassan Ali Ahmed, for Al Monitor. Any opinions expressed here are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Iraq under pressure to open borders for Shiite pilgrims despite pandemic While the Iraqi government attempts to prevent the spread of the delta variant from Iran, there is […]
By John Lee. The Government of Iraq has reportedly revoked permission for Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) to operate special flights to Iraq for people intending to observe Arbaeen. The move is a consequence of Iraq's decision to ban all foreign arrivals into Iraq, due to the spread of Covid-19. (Source: Dawn)
By John Lee. Iraq's Higher Committee for Health and National Safety has decided to "ban the entry into Iraq of visitors from all countries". The move is an attempt to combat the coronavirus (Covid-19). This will create problems for religious pilgrims hoping to attend the Shi'ite Muslim gathering of Arbaeen, held in early October, which […]
Baghdad has decided to bar all foreign pilgrims from visiting Iraq for this year's Arbaeen season due to the outbreak of the coronavirus, an Iranian deputy minister said. Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Deputy Interior Minister for Security Affairs Hossein Zolfaqari said he has been informed by Iran's ambassador to Baghdad about the […]
From Al Jazeera. Any opinions expressed are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Iraq has so far registered 214 coronavirus cases and 17 deaths. To prevent further spread of the virus, the government imposed a weeklong curfew in Baghdad and other cities and cancelled all domestic […]
More than three million Iranians have registered to visit the holy cities of Iraq during the Arbaeen season, which marks the 40th day after the martyrdom anniversary of Imam Hussein (AS), the third Shiite Imam, a senior official said on Saturday. Amir Moradi, the executive manager of a task force charged with handling the Arbaeen […]
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 […]
