Rehabilitation plan to revive Al-Habbaniyah Tourist City in Iraq’s Al-Anbar

Shafaq News- Al-Anbar

Al-Habbaniyah Tourist City is set to undergo major development over the coming years to restore one of the country's most prominent leisure destinations, the city's director told Shafaq News on Monday.

Moayad Al-Mashouh said the current infrastructure can accommodate visitors after the restoration of 100 housing units inside the resort, adding that work is in progress to renovate the city's private and wooden cabins, with completion expected by the end of the year.

Several projects are underway, including the construction of a large events hall, a water park, swimming pools, and other recreational facilities. Al-Mashouh noted that the resort was awarded to an investor in 2011 and that the Ministry of Tourism has now formed a committee to follow up on the investment file.

“The site’s biggest challenge is that declining water levels over the past four years have reduced visitor numbers over the past four years.” Recent water releases have improved conditions, but the resort depends heavily on stable water levels to sustain tourism. He estimated that Al-Habbaniyah Lake requires at least one billion cubic meters of continuous water releases to restore tourism activity, while about 3.5 billion cubic meters would be needed to return the lake to its previous level.

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According to al-Mashouh, the resort receives around 5,000 families during the Eid Al-Fitr and Eid Al-Adha holidays, in addition to regular visitors during weekend breaks.

Economic analyst Ahmed Al-Karbouli told Shafaq News that reviving this destination could boost Al-Anbar's economy and provide Iraq with an important source of non-oil revenue. He said the project would revitalize hotels, restaurants, local markets, transport, and service sectors, create hundreds of jobs, and encourage private investment in tourism and entertainment.

"The resort enjoys strong tourism potential because of its location near Baghdad and the Middle Euphrates provinces, as well as Al-Habbaniyah Lake."

Located in western Iraq's Al-Anbar Province between Fallujah and Ramadi, Al-Habbaniyah Tourist City covers about 701 square kilometers. The site also includes residential complexes, a military base, and an airport. Following the conflict with ISIS, it also served as a shelter for about 60,000 displaced people, or nearly 12,000 families, from Fallujah.