Baghdad: Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’a al-Sudani emphasized the importance of the tourism industry and the role of the banking sector in supporting and developing it. A statement from the Prime Minister’s office indicated that al-Sudani received today, Wednesday, the head of the Arab Tourism Organization, Bandar bin Fahd Al-Fahad. The meeting addressed the importance of the tourism industry and the role of the banking sector in supporting and developing it, through promoting investment in various tourism sectors to achieve comprehensive and sustainable economic growth. They also confirmed the organization of an Arab Tourism Media Conference and another conference on the role of Arab banks in tourism investment, with the participation of more than 80 Arab banks and investors. Both conferences will be held in Baghdad.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, the Prime Minister affirmed the government’s cooperation with the Arab Tourism Organization and the League of Arab States to develop tourism in Iraq and enhance its position as a prominent tourist destination at both the Arab and international levels. He emphasized the government’s commitment to this sector as a vital source of support for the national economy and its support for the proposals and recommendations of the Arab Ministerial Council for Tourism, particularly those related to tourism development and investment, infrastructure and services development, and cooperation in the fields of cultural and religious tourism.

The Prime Minister directed the allocation of a plot of land for the construction of an investment hotel and an academy dedicated to tourism development and training, as well as a regional office for the Arab Tourism Organization in Baghdad.

For his part, the President of the Arab Tourism Organization affirmed Iraq’s leading role in Arab tourism and the government’s efforts and steps to develop joint work and enhance tourism exchange among Arab countries.