Visit Kurdistan has signed a historic USD160 million agreement with Leitner to build a 10-kilometer cable car that will significantly further the region’s developing tourism industry and help to attract 20 million travellers to Kurdistan by 2035.
The seven-stop cable car ropeway will be one of the world’s longest and is projected to generate significant economic benefits, including the creation of over 500 jobs, and US$50 million injected into the local economy in its first year of operations. The project, a key initiative spearheaded by H.E. Masrour Barzani, the Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, aligns with the government’s vision for economic diversification, with tourism playing a central role.
"This commitment to developing world-class infrastructure demonstrates the Kurdistan Regional Government’s dedication to economic diversification and is part of our wider development plan for the region,” said Dr. Sarbaz Othman, Advisor to the Prime Minster of the Kurdistan Regional Government. “We look forward to the positive and sustainable economic impact of this development for the benefit of both locals and tourists.”
Visit Kurdistan’s CEO emphasized Kurdistan’s unique tourism appeal: “Kurdistan is the antidote to conventional tourism and welcomes visitors to explore our historic, and natural riches, discovering the heart of the Middle East,” said Daban Hamid, CEO of Visit Kurdistan. “We are pleased to work with The Kurdistan Regional Government and Leitner on this initiative to enhance our infrastructure, encourage economic diversification, create jobs, and to open up the most scenic parts of Kurdistan for exploration.”
"Working on this ambitious and impactful project is an exciting opportunity for Leitner to continue adding to our portfolio of world-class ropeway projects,” said Thomas Schubert, Export Manager at Leitner. “This system will also serve to set a new standard for tourism development in the region. We look forward to seeing locals and tourists enjoying the ropeway in maximum comfort."
Signed at the Kurdistan-Italy Economic Forum in Rome between Visit Kurdistan in conjunction with the Kurdistan Regional Government, and Leitner, the agreement represents the largest tourism engineering project ever undertaken in the Kurdistan Region, and marks a pivotal moment for Kurdistan’s sustainable tourism and infrastructure investment ambitions.
Project Highlights:
- Tourism Growth: The cable car is expected to boost Kurdistan’s tourism revenue by 5% annually.
- Construction Timeline: Construction begins in winter/spring 2025 with launch set for early 2027.
- Job Creation: The project is estimated to create over 500 jobs for local residents across the tourism value chain including, restaurants, cafes, spas, entertainment venues and resorts being built at each stop, providing significant economic benefits to the community.
- Cutting-Edge Technology: The 10-kilometer cable car will feature seven stations, culminating at the majestic Korek Mountain using a cutting-edge 2S bi-cable system renowned for its stability, safety, comfort and passenger capacity.
- Environmentally Conscious Design: Including designs for minimal intrusion into the existing rock face by leveraging more free spans, and raised lines to avoid deforestation, among other methods.
- Year-Round Operations: The cable car will run daily for 10 hours in all seasons. A Vision for Sustainable Growth
