Ramallah

“The Gateway to Palestine”

Ramallah is a proud, growing and cosmopolitan city, located approximately 16 km north of Jerusalem in the Palestinian West Bank; Ramallah was originally established in the mid-1500s. It grew throughout the 18th century as a predominantly agricultural village, and by the mid-1800s, missionary groups had built different schools and churches.

Because of its central location and various attractions, thousands of tourists visit Ramallah annually. This contributes to the thriving service industry in Ramallah that constitutes a large portion of the city’s economy. The city features many prestigious hotels, ranging from old local hotels to modern and international ones. A number of hostels have emerged in the last few years as well, catering to backpackers and budget travelers. Restaurants, bars, stores, recreational centers, and souvenir shops throughout the city also prosper from the international traffic.

As the seat of the Government of the State of Palestine, our city is a base for many major organizations, including NGOs and banks. It is also home to a burgeoning arts and cultural scene and generally considered the most affluent and cultural, as well as the most liberal, of all Palestinian cities, and is home to a number of popular Palestinian activists, poets, artists, and musicians. It has a lively town center, museums, art galleries, theatres, parks, booming restaurant scene, and bustling nightlife, Ramallah is a fast-growing cosmopolitan town.

Ramallah possesses a thriving and diverse economy, which is distinguished by its service sector. Due to its liveliness and physical location in the middle of the country, Ramallah houses the headquarters of many companies and organizations, such as insurance companies, telecommunications companies, and local and international NGOs, diplomatic missions, and international organizations are concentrated in the city. The city also hosts a very large number of foreigners who work or volunteer at one of the many international organizations or NGO’s and their presence has become a defining feature of the city.