ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – The Kurdistan Region will host an economic forum with Spain in November, with over 60 Spanish companies expected to participate, an official said Monday, adding that the goal is to attract Spanish investors to the region’s agriculture, tourism, and oil and gas sectors.

“The strategic objective of participating in those forums was to attract the attention of Spanish companies to invest in the Kurdistan Region in the sectors of agriculture, tourism, and oil and gas,” Bargasht Akrayi, spokesperson for the Kurdistan Region's Board of Investment, told The New Region.

The forum follows the board's signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with officials in Spain’s Castellón region to organize specialized courses for staff and investors.

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has made increasing efforts in recent years to diversify its revenue sources and make the Region an appealing destination for international businesses.

In November, more contracts and MoUs are expected to be signed with Spanish companies in various fields. 

Prime Minister Masrour Barzani has reiterated the Kurdistan Region’s readiness to support potential domestic and foreign investors in a bid to diversify the economy.

The KRG, under its ninth cabinet, has exported agricultural products such as potatoes, pomegranates, apples, and grapes to several countries across Africa, Europe, and the US.

Tourism has been another main focus with Sasan Awni, the Kurdistan Region’s minister of municipalities and tourism, saying last month that there are more than 3,000 tourist sites and facilities in the Kurdistan Region, creating over 20,000 jobs, “80 percent of which are filled by the local workforce.”