ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Wednesday inaugurated the Gomaspan Dam, the largest dam in Erbil and the third largest in the Kurdistan Region, which is expected to have significant impact on the economy, tourism, and agriculture sectors.

The dam has a storage capacity of around 100 million cubic meters and is set to provide water for 16,000 square meters of agricultural land and foster the development of fish farming.

Prime Minister Barzani said that the project aims to utilize rainwater and seasonal water that have been previously wasted to boost agriculture, increase groundwater, and develop fish farming in the Kurdistan Region.

The premier also highlighted the dam’s potential to become an attractive touristic destination for people of Erbil as well as other parts of the Kurdistan Region, urging all citizens to help preserve the environment in order to secure a better tomorrow for future generations.

“This has been an important program for us to develop the tourism sector in the region and help our citizens,” said Barzani, noting that the project will also lead to the creation of jobs for people in the area and help develop a stronger economic infrastructure for the Kurdistan Region.

During the ceremony, Barzani also laid the foundation stone for the Gomaspan-Smaquli road, which is set to connect Erbil to Raparin Administration and also Sulaimani.

“May our Kurdistan advance further and become more lovely day by day and our people be safe and healthy,” said the prime minister in his closing remarks.

Gomaspan marks the eighth dam completed during the tenure of Prime Minister Barzani. The Kurdish premier inaugurated the Bastora Dam in Erbil province on Monday.

A key focus of the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) ninth cabinet under the leadership of Prime Minister Barzani is to revitalize the economy, laying the groundwork for and completing a significant number of projects for the purpose of creating as many jobs and securing a lasting economic independence.

From July 2019 to September 2024, a total of 977 factories, with a budget of 1.1 billion dollars, have been licensed across the Kurdistan Region. They have altogether helped create 15,245 jobs, a strategic achievement for the ninth KRG cabinet to reduce the unemployment burden on the government’s shoulders.

Additionally, the ninth cabinet has carried out 430 projects during its tenure across various sectors, including trade, banking, health, industry, tourism, agriculture and housing, according to the KRG.