** IRAN DAILY
-- Tehran, Riyadh to resume direct flights in near future
The head of Iran Civil Aviation Organization (CAO) said that direct scheduled flights between Iran and Saudi Arabia will resume in the near future, adding that the Umrah pilgrimage flights to the Arab country will soon be launched by two domestic airlines.
Speaking at a news conference on Tuesday, Mohammad Mohammadibakhsh said direct scheduled flights between the two countries will be resumed soon, in line with bolstering bilateral ties in the field of aviation.
-- Iranian NTBFs export $1b worth of products
The deputy head of the Innovation and Prosperity Fund of Iran put the value of products exported by the country’s new technology-based firms (NTBFs) at $1 billion. Talking to IRNA, Siavash Malekifar pointed to the high capacities and potentials of start-ups in various fields and the number of employees working for Iranian NTBFs at 266,000.
He also highlighted the activities of the fund, saying it was founded in 2010, and currently offers 78 types of high-quality services to applicants.
-- Iran’s National Orchestra to perform ‘Lady of Water’ tone poem
In commemoration of the mourning days of the martyrdom of Hazrat Fatima (PBUH), Iran’s National Orchestra, under the auspice of Hamayoun Rahimian, is slated to perform the symphonic poem ‘Lady of Water’.
Seyyed Mahmoud Eslami, Deputy Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance and the Acting Head of the Rudaki Foundation, stated, “This performance is the artistic tribute of musicians and performers to Hazrat Fatima.”
** KAYHAN INTERNATIONAL
-- Official: Iran Records 48.5% Surge in Tourist Arrivals
The head of the foreign tourism marketing and development office says travel to Iran grew by 48.5% in the first eight months of the year starting March, during which 4.4 million people visited the country for business, medical, pilgrimage and tourism purposes.
According to Moslem Shojaei, the statistics show the situation of travel to Iran has improved this year.
“In the first seven months of the Persian year, 1.8 million from the Middle East traveled to Iran, up 31% compared to the same period last year. This growth rate is higher than those in Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq and Saudi Arabia,” he said.
-- Tehran to Host Pomegranate, Yalda Festivals
Tehran will host the fall festivals of Pomegranate and Yalda with cultural and artistic programs until December 21. Tehran Municipality’s Cultural and Artistic Organization has organized the festivals with the aim of preserving Iranian customs, traditions and culture.
The festivals will be held in two exhibition and field sections until Dec. 21 at Eshragh and Marefat Cultural Centers.
-- Iran to Send Umrah Hajj to Mecca After 9 Years
TEHRAN - The head of the Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization of Iran says the first caravan of Umrah Hajj pilgrims will soon embark on the spiritual journey to Mecca after a nine-year hiatus.
“Following the necessary coordination with the Saudi Hajj officials and the signing of relevant memorandums and contracts, the first convoy of Umrah pilgrims will be dispatched to Saudi Arabia on December 19,” Seyyed Abbas Husseini told reporters on Tuesday.
** TEHRAN TIMES
-- Fajr International Theater Festival to dedicate section to Gaza
The 42nd edition of Fajr International Theater Festival will dedicate a special section to Gaza, the organizers have announced. The section will feature productions centered around the resistance of the Palestinian people, IRNA quoted Mehdi Hamed Saqaian the secretary of the event as saying on Tuesday.
“Given the importance of the Palestinian resistance and recent events in Gaza, special attention will be given to the diverse works that have arrived in different sections of the festival with this theme,” he added.
-- ‘IRAN EXPO to be held with aim of changing Iran’s trade direction’
The head of Iran’s Trade Promotion Organization (TPO) said that the 6th Export Potential Exhibition of the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRAN EXPO 2024) will be held with the aim of changing the direction of the country's trade. Making the remarks in a press conference on Tuesday, Mehdi Zeyghami also mentioned exports with a focus on knowledge-based products as the other major objective of the exhibition.
Stating that Iran will become a knowledge-based export country, the official reiterated that changing the direction of the country's trade by holding the 6th Export Potential Exhibition of the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRAN EXPO 2024) is the goal of the 13th government.
-- Foreign arrivals in Iran reach 4.4 million in 8 months, up by 48.5% y/y
The number of foreign arrivals in Iran reached 4.4 million during the first eight months of the current Iranian year (started on March 21), which shows 48.5 percent compared to that of the last year.
“Iran’s tourism experienced a growth of 48.5% in the first eight months of this year, attracting 4.4 million and 400 thousand visitors motivated by trade, medical treatment, pilgrimage, and tourism,” Moslem Shojai, who presides over the ministry’s foreign tourism marketing and development office, said on Tuesday.
Data compiled by the tourism ministry suggests that 1.8 million visitors from West Asia traveled to Iran in the first seven months of this year, showing a growth of about 31% compared to the same period last year. This growth surpassed that of Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia.
6125**7129