The first international soccer tournament that Iraq is hosting in more than four decades is about to kick off in the southern city of Basra.
“As Iraqis we have suffered for decades, and so we’re very happy that this Gulf tournament can take place on Iraqi soil in Basra,” said Akram al-Iraqi, a Basra resident taking a stroll on the bustling corniche promenade by the Shatt al-Arab, the confluence of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.and political factions rose in prominence in the country.
There are also hopes for an economic windfall. Oil-rich Basra has fallen on hard times, with rising temperatures and drought induced by climate change and poor management of water resources. Iraqi families with children mingle with Saudi and Kuwaiti tourists strolling along the Shatt al-Arab corniche. Merchants crowded the promenade, selling coffee, gifts, and Iraqi flag. Waiters at a hotel lobby nearby scurried to bring patrons coffee and shishas, traditional water pipes for smoking tobacco.
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