Kuwaiti construction company builds hotel in Karbala

Kuwait-Hotel KARBALA / IraqiNews.com: A Kuwaiti construction company will begin establishing a hotel in Karbala next month at a total cost of $3.4 million, the president of the businessmen association in Karbala said. “The Bukhamseen company was chosen to set up the (Holiday Karbala) hotel, and will start implementing the project next month at a total cost of $3.4 million,” Mohamed Saleh Al Taema told IraqiNews.com. “The company will also build another hotel in Najaf city,” he added. Karbala, with an estimated population of 572,300 people in 2003, is the capital of the province and is considered to be one of Shiite Muslims’ holiest cities. The city, 110 km south of Baghdad, is one of Iraq’s wealthiest, profiting both from religious visitors and agricultural produce, especially dates. It is made up of two districts, “Old Karbala,” the religious center, and “New Karbala,” the residential district containing Islamic schools and government buildings. At the cent re of the old city is Masjid al-Hussein, the tomb of Hussein Ibn Ali, grandson of the Prophet Muhammad by his daughter Fatima al-Zahraa and Ali Ibn Abi Taleb. SH (S)/SR 1