Halabja launches annual pomegranate festival with 500+ stalls

Shafaq News- Halabja

The 12th annual Halabja Pomegranate and Local Products Festival kicked off on Wednesday in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), with more than 500 stalls offering agricultural produce and locally made goods.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Halabja Governor Nuxsha Nasih said the four-day event would welcome visitors daily from 8:00 a.m. to midnight local time, with products available for direct purchase from exhibitors. Nasih described the festival as “part of Halabja’s identity” and highlighted this year’s slogan, “The Homeland Is Like Halabja’s Pomegranates.”

Halabja’s products now reach international markets beyond Iraq, she noted, expressing hope that the festival would draw more tourists and benefit local businesses.

According to Halabja’s Tourism Directorate, the 2025 edition attracted more than 419,700 visitors, with an estimated 35% to 40% extending their visits to explore other attractions across the province, which had 55 operating tourist facilities.

Read more: Discover Iraq: Halabja- Where land, memory, and resilience intertwine