HOLY CITY OF NAJAF, Iraq: Marking the birth anniversary of Al-Imam Ali b. Abi Talib (AS) on Rajab 13, Iraq opened a new airport in the southern holy city of Najaf – home to the holy shrine of Al-Imam Ali (AS) - on Sunday, July 20.

Every year, millions of pilgrims travel to Iraq to visit holy shrines in Najaf and Karbala. The new airport is expected to boost the numbers of pious tourists.

At a ceremony, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki described the $250 million airport as a vital element in Iraq's economic development. A military airfield was renovated for the new airport, and several flights from New York, Kurdistan and other global parts were expected to land on Sunday.

"The Najaf airport is a starting point for competition among provinces and local governments to make extraordinary progress toward reconstruction," al-Maliki said.

Its worth noting that Jafariya News had first broke the news of opening the airport on Rajab 13 in English media.