Erbil kicks off $25M road project amid tourism boom

Shafaq News – Erbil

Kurdistan authorities launched a $25 million road project to connect the city’s 120-meter and 150-meter ring roads in Erbil.

At the foundation ceremony, Kurdish Minister of Municipalities and Tourism Sasan Awni said the five-kilometer route will feature landscaped medians, modern drainage systems, and advanced street lighting. It will be fully financed through the Region’s investment budget and executed by a local construction company.

Construction is expected to be completed within 15 months, making it the first major arterial link between Erbil’s two largest highways, he added.

The initiative comes as tourism surges, with more than two million annual visitors since the launch of an eight-year development plan in 2022, fueling over $7.5 billion in new investments and the growth of 3,100 facilities, from hotels and restaurants to travel agencies across the Region.

“There are around 1,000 development projects currently underway across Kurdistan,” Awni highlighted, emphasizing that none have received financial backing from Baghdad.

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