Baghdad: Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Planning, Mohammed Ali Tamim, engaged in discussions with Zahra Seljuk, Director of the Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC), during the Third Arab Tourism Statistics Forum held in Baghdad. The meeting revolved around the proposal of selecting Baghdad as the Capital of Islamic Tourism for the year 2028.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, the discussions emphasized prospects for joint cooperation in various fields, especially tourism investment, aiming to bolster integration among the member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. The proposal to select Baghdad as the Capital of Islamic Tourism was discussed in light of its rich Arab and Islamic heritage and recent developments in various sectors.

The discussions also covered Iraq’s upcoming presidency of the Islamic Research Centre in 2026, its financial commitments to the Centre, and the Ministry of Planning’s participation in the Statistica
l Committee meetings of the Centre, which are scheduled to be held in Ankara from October 1 to 3. Zahra Seljuk expressed the Centre’s support for Iraq’s request regarding Baghdad’s candidacy for the tourism capital title.