At a Glance

• Halabja’s Pomegranate and Autumn Festival is boosting tourism and economic activity, according to the city’s tourism director.

• Officials expect around 500,000 visitors to attend the festival.

• Tourist sites across Halabja have reportedly been fully booked for a week.

• Hotels and motels have prepared accommodation for up to 1,600 people per night.

The 12th Halabja Pomegranate Festival is providing a significant boost to the local tourism sector, with tourist attractions, restaurants and cafés experiencing increased demand, according to Halabja Tourism Director Chia Qasim.

Key Statements and Focus Areas

Tourism and Local Economic Activity

Speaking to Channel8, Chia Qasim said visitors are contributing to the local economy and bringing increased activity to tourism-related businesses.

• Tourist sites across Halabja have reportedly been fully booked for a week.

• Restaurants and cafés are experiencing heavy demand.

• Qasim said restaurants and public venues are expected to remain open to accommodate visitors.

Accommodation Capacity

Qasim said preparations have been made at hotels and motels to accommodate festival visitors.

• Available accommodation can host approximately 1,600 people per night.

• Authorities expect around 500,000 visitors over the festival period.

Halabja’s Pomegranate Festival is generating increased activity across the city’s tourism sector, with visitors contributing to demand for accommodation, restaurants, cafés and tourist attractions.

Chia Qasim, director of tourism in Halabja, told Channel8 that the festival has benefited the local tourism industry by attracting visitors and supporting economic activity.

According to Qasim, tourist sites across the area have been fully booked for a week, while restaurants and cafés are experiencing heavy demand. He also emphasized the importance of keeping restaurants and public venues open to serve visitors throughout the celebrations.

Qasim added that hotels and motels have made preparations for the influx of visitors, with accommodation available for approximately 1,600 people per night.

Officials expect around half a million visitors to attend the festival, which combines agricultural promotion with commercial, cultural, social and artistic activities.

FYI

The festival’s impact extends beyond promoting Halabja’s pomegranates: increased visitor numbers can generate revenue for accommodation providers, restaurants, cafés and other local businesses. However, the expected attendance of around 500,000 represents a forecast, while the reported accommodation capacity of 1,600 people per night indicates the scale of preparations described by the tourism director.

At a Glance

• Visitors from central and southern Iraq are traveling to Halabja for its annual Pomegranate and Autumn Festival.

• Families and organized tour groups are joining the four-day event.

• Halabja’s pomegranates and the festival atmosphere are drawing visitors from across Iraq and abroad.

• Organizers expect more than 500,000 visits throughout the festival’s four days.

The 12th Halabja Pomegranate Festival is attracting visitors from across Iraq and beyond, with families, organized tour groups and international travelers arriving to experience the city’s agricultural produce and cultural atmosphere.

Key Statements and Focus Areas

Visitors Travel to Experience the Festival

• Families from central and southern Iraq have traveled to Halabja to attend the festival and sample its pomegranates.

• Some visitors have arrived independently with their families, while others are participating in organized tour groups.

• Visitors say the festival atmosphere and Halabja’s pomegranates have encouraged them to return, with some planning to make the trip an annual tradition.

International Visitors Join the Celebrations

• The festival has also welcomed visitors from neighboring countries and farther afield.

• Some international travelers have arrived from Germany and other European destinations.

• One European visitor embraced the local culture by wearing Kurdish traditional clothing and decided to spend several days in Halabja.

Halabja’s annual Pomegranate and Autumn Festival continues to attract visitors from different parts of Iraq and overseas, bringing together agricultural heritage, cultural activities and tourism.

Families from central and southern Iraq have traveled to the city to take part in the celebrations, while organized tour groups have also joined the event. For many visitors, Halabja’s pomegranates are a major attraction, alongside the festival’s lively atmosphere.

The event has also drawn international travelers, including visitors from Germany and Europe. Their participation highlights the festival’s appeal beyond the local area, as visitors experience Kurdish traditions and spend time exploring Halabja.

The four-day festival features commercial, cultural, social and artistic activities. More than 500,000 visits are expected over the four days, with visitors anticipated from other Iraqi provinces and abroad.

FYI

Halabja’s Pomegranate Festival combines agricultural promotion with cultural tourism, offering growers an opportunity to showcase local produce while attracting visitors and supporting economic activity. Its appeal to domestic and international travelers also highlights the potential for seasonal festivals to strengthen Halabja’s profile as a destination for visitors.

At a Glance

• The 12th Halabja Pomegranate Festival brings four days of agricultural, commercial, cultural and social activities.

• The festival celebrates local growers and showcases Halabja’s renowned pomegranate production.

• More than 2,200 growers work across 10,600 dunams of pomegranate orchards in the area, according to the Agriculture Directorate.

• Channel8 is providing special festival coverage, with daily prize giveaways for participating visitors.

Halabja has opened its 12th annual Pomegranate Festival, celebrating the region’s agricultural heritage and the dedication of local growers through four days of commercial, cultural and community activities.

Key Statements and Focus Areas

Celebrating Halabja’s Agricultural Heritage

• The annual festival highlights pomegranates and related products while providing growers and local businesses with an opportunity to showcase their produce.

• Organizers expect thousands of visitors during the four-day event.

• Agricultural officials continue to support growers through guidance on orchard management and modern cultivation methods.

Growers Expand Production and Planting

Faridun Namdar, owner of the Hanjari Sazan brand, told Channel 8:

• More than 273 orchard owners have benefited from support initiatives associated with Qubad Talabani.

• He said growers had planted substantial numbers of new pomegranate saplings.

• Namdar highlighted the importance of further promoting Halabja’s pomegranates and called for the festival to gain international recognition.

Namdar also said more than 250,000 saplings had been planted since 2023. His claim that Halabja’s pomegranate production ranks fourth globally requires independent verification before being presented as a confirmed international ranking.

Weather Challenges and Agricultural Support

Star Mahmoud, Director of Agriculture in Halabja, told Channel 8:

• Halabja has approximately 10,600 dunams of pomegranate orchards and around 2,200 growers.

• The expected harvest this year is approximately 20,000 tonnes, compared with around 30,000 tonnes last year.

• Cooler spring conditions delayed flowering and contributed to the reduction in production.

• Agricultural authorities continue to provide guidance and training to help growers improve cultivation and orchard management.

Channel8 at the Festival

• Channel 8 is providing extensive coverage of the festival and its activities.

• Visitors can register at the channel’s dedicated stage to participate in prize draws.

• The channel says it will award one iPhone 18 Pro Max each day over the four-day festival, alongside pomegranates for participating visitors.

Halabja is celebrating its agricultural heritage as the 12th Pomegranate Festival opens, bringing together growers, businesses and visitors for four days of activities dedicated to one of the area’s signature agricultural products.

The festival provides a platform for local producers to display their pomegranates and related products, connect with visitors and promote the work of the farming community. It also highlights the importance of continued investment in agriculture and the development of local markets.

According to Star Mahmoud, director of agriculture in Halabja, approximately 2,200 growers work across 10,600 dunams of pomegranate orchards in the area. Although this year’s harvest is expected to reach around 20,000 tonnes, down from approximately 30,000 tonnes last year, the festival continues to showcase the sector’s role in the local economy.

Mahmoud attributed the lower forecast to cooler spring weather, which delayed the trees’ flowering. He said agricultural officials continue to provide growers with advice and training on modern cultivation techniques to support orchard productivity.

Local producers are also emphasizing the progress made in expanding cultivation. Faridun Namdar, owner of the Hanjari Sazan brand, told Channel 8 that more than 273 orchard owners had benefited from support initiatives associated with Qubad Talabani. He also cited the planting of more than 250,000 saplings since 2023 and called for greater international recognition of Halabja’s pomegranate sector.

The festival further offers an opportunity to promote local produce to a wider audience. Reported retail prices range from 250 to 1,500 Iraqi dinars per kilogram, depending on the pomegranate variety.

Channel 8 is participating with dedicated coverage and daily prize draws, including one iPhone 18 Pro Max giveaway per day. The initiative adds a public-engagement element to an event centered on local farmers, agricultural products and Halabja’s cultural identity.

As the festival continues, its activities highlight the contribution of growers and the potential to expand recognition of Halabja’s agricultural products through stronger promotion, improved cultivation and wider market access.

FYI

Halabja’s Pomegranate Festival is more than a seasonal celebration: it offers local growers a platform to promote their produce, strengthen connections with consumers and draw attention to the area’s agricultural potential. While this year’s harvest is expected to be lower because of spring weather conditions, continued investment in orchard management, planting and market promotion could help sustain the sector and broaden recognition of Halabja’s pomegranates.

At a Glance

• Nuxsha Nasih praised young farmers as a symbol of Kurdistan’s future during remarks at Halabja’s Pomegranate Festival.

• She paid tribute to elderly farmers, describing their faces as carrying the history and stories of the city.

• Nasih welcomed visitors to Halabja, calling it a city for all of Kurdistan and its four parts.

• Her remarks highlighted the role of farmers in preserving agricultural heritage and connecting generations.

Nuxsha Nasih has praised the contributions of young and elderly farmers at Halabja’s Pomegranate Festival, describing younger generations as a symbol of Kurdistan’s future and older growers as keepers of the city’s history and heritage.

Key Statements and Focus Areas

Young Farmers and Kurdistan’s Future

Nasih expressed special appreciation for young farmers after visiting several festival stalls.

“We have young farmers in whose eyes the future of Kurdistan is visible.”

Her remarks highlighted the importance of young people in sustaining agriculture and carrying the sector forward.

Tribute to Elderly Farmers

Nasih also paid tribute to older farmers, recognizing their experience and their connection to Halabja’s agricultural history.

“I kiss the hands of the elderly farmers as well, for in every line of their faces lies a history and a beautiful story of this city.”

Halabja as a City for All Kurdistan

Concluding her remarks, Nasih wished visitors safe journeys and expressed a message of belonging and unity.

“Halabja is the city of you all, the city of all of Kurdistan, the city of all four parts of Kurdistan.”

Nuxsha Nasih has paid tribute to farmers of different generations during remarks at Halabja’s Pomegranate Festival, praising their contributions to the region’s agricultural heritage and emphasizing the importance of young growers to Kurdistan’s future.

Nasih said she had visited several stalls the previous day, where she saw young farmers whose work and aspirations reflected the future of Kurdistan.

She also expressed respect for elderly farmers, describing the lines on their faces as carrying the history and stories of Halabja. Her remarks acknowledged the experience of older generations and their role in preserving the city’s agricultural traditions.

The comments came as Halabja hosts its 12th Pomegranate Festival, a four-day event showcasing pomegranates and related products while bringing together growers, businesses and visitors for commercial, cultural and social activities.

Nasih concluded by wishing visitors a pleasant journey and safe return, describing Halabja as a city belonging to all of Kurdistan and all four parts of Kurdistan.

FYI

Halabja’s Pomegranate Festival provides a platform to celebrate local agriculture, recognize farmers’ contributions and promote the city’s cultural identity. Nasih’s remarks connected these themes across generations, highlighting both the experience of established growers and the potential of young farmers to sustain the sector’s future.