Enthusiastic Gulf visitors descend on Basra as football opens Iraq to tourists

BASRA: For decades Iraq’s ancient cultural attractions were closed to international tourists because of the ongoing conflict in the country, including a strict sanctions regime, but this has seemingly all changed with the 25th Arabian Gulf Cup.

Having spent time over the years in Iraq reporting on the conflict, I had never seen cars with number plates from any neighboring countries. Now seeing plates from Oman, Kuwait, the UAE and others was heart-warming, heightened by the fact that it takes many hours to drive to the country.