travel news review


3 May '99
Packaged tours to Iraq's Shi'ite holy sites are set to resume in a country without tourists since Iraq's 1990 invasion of Kuwait. The tours, discussed in talks between Iraq Airways and Emirates Airlines, will visit Kerbala and Najaf, both to the south of the capital Baghdad, sites of significance to Shi'ite Muslims. There have been no tourist flights into Iraq since the UN imposed sanctions and the USA and UK enforced air-exclusion zones. Tourists would use an existing ferry service between Dubai and southern Iraq.

23 December '98
Travellers are advised to defer all travel to all Middle East and Gulf countries following military strikes against Iraq. Travellers in Egypt are advised to register at their embassy and to follow local advice. Up to date advice is available on consular web sites.

18 November '98
Iraq has been ordered by the United Nations to permit weapons inspectors into the country. Threatened air strikes on Iraq by the United States have been averted following Baghdad's announcement that it will cooperate with the UN search for weapons of mass destruction. While travel to Iraq is still a no go, warnings against travel to Iraq's neighbours issued during the past week have now been lifted.

16 November '98
After an eight-year suspension, passenger ferry services between Iraq and the United Arab Emirates have recommenced. The ferry operates between Dubai and Umm Qasar in Iraq, a journey of 800 km (500mi). As a result of sanctions imposed on Iraq, travellers wishing to go to Baghdad from the Middle East previously had to take the long way round travelling via Jordan. Both countries are hoping the passenger ferry service will lead to increased tourism between the two countries. Travel to Iraq is still not recommended for travellers from western countries, and it is not likely to be for some time as the United States is still considering a massive air strike on Iraq. The planned air strike is over Iraq's continued refusal to comply with the United Nations weapons inspection programme.

22 April '98
Plans for the new Saddam Grand Mosque in Baghdad have been unveiled. The mosque, at 280m (918 ft) tall, will be the largest in the world. With eight minarets, it will surpass the mosque in Mecca which has seven. The mosque will be built on the site of an old airport in Baghdad, bombed during the 1991 Gulf War.berg movies feature prominently in the scheduling.