At a Glance

• The joint committees of Halabja's mayoral office have issued strict health, hygiene, and safety guidelines for participants of the upcoming 12th Halabja Pomegranate and Autumn Festival.
• Key restrictions include a complete ban on aluminum pots for cooking stews and the prohibition of artificial lemon salt (limandouzi) in food preparation.
• Festival vendors and booth holders will undergo mandatory pre-screening health checks, must wear gloves, and are required to use large bags for waste collection.
• Scheduled to launch on October 28 for a four-day run, this year's festival will feature environmental activities, a 5,000-pomegranate-sapling planting campaign, and an expected turnout exceeding 300,000 visitors.

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As preparations reach their final stages for one of the Kurdistan Region's most celebrated cultural and agricultural events, local authorities have laid down firm regulations to ensure public health and food safety at the festival grounds.

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Health Regulations and Festival Rules

• Mandatory Pre-Screening: All participants who have secured kiosks at the festival will undergo advance health checks to ensure they meet public health standards.
• Prohibited Cooking Practices: Authorities have strictly banned the use of aluminum pots, particularly for preparing broths and stews, as well as the use of artificial citric acid in food.
• Strict Hygiene Standards: Vendors are mandated to maintain high cleanliness standards, wear gloves at all times, and place large waste bags in their areas for efficient debris collection.
• Penalties for Non-Compliance: Organizers warned that any participant failing to adhere to the directives will face immediate revocation of their booth and appropriate legal penalties.

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12th Halabja Pomegranate and Autumn Festival is set to kick off on October 28 and run for four days. Building on the success of last year's 11th edition, which ran from October 30, 2025, and drew over 270,000 visitors, this year's festival anticipates more than 300,000 attendees.

In addition to showcasing local agricultural produce and crafts, the 2026 event places a special emphasis on environmental initiatives, highlighted by a major campaign to plant 5,000 pomegranate saplings.

FYI

The Halabja Pomegranate and Autumn Festival is an annual autumn celebration highlighting the region's famous pomegranate harvest, local agriculture, handicrafts, and cultural heritage, drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors from across Iraq and abroad.

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