ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Erbil’s Geli Ali Bag and Bekhal resorts are set to see a redesign with a budget of 110 million euros by a number of Italian investors.

The redesign is the fruit of a Kurdish high-delegation’s visit to Italy in February that was led by Mohammed Shukri, head of the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) Investment Board, and Safeen Dizayee, head of the KRG’s Department of Foreign Relations, who were also joined by over 20 businessmen.

Shukri told The New Region on Saturday that on the sidelines of their visit to Rome, they signed “a large strategic tourism project” concerning the redesign of Geli Ali Bag and Bekhal resorts 

“The project involves redesigning the tourist attraction sites at a cost of 110 million euros,” Shukri added.

Italy and the Kurdistan Region have maintained strong ties since the collapse of the former Baath regime in 2003.

Italy has a consulate general in Erbil, and the KRG has its representation office in Rome. 

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni visited the Kurdistan Region in late December 2022, meeting top Kurdish leaders, including President Nechirvan Barzani and Prime Minister Masrour Barzani.

Located in the northeast of the Kurdistan Region’s Erbil, Bekhal and Geli Ali Bag lie side by side at a distance of approximately 130 kilometers from the Kurdish capital. Both resorts feature breath-taking waterfalls and beautiful landscapes.