By Gharib Ali Saleem
Halabja’s Pomegranate Festival, entering its 11th year, has become a major economic engine, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors.
The Pomegranate Festival is held annually in Halabja Governorate to introduce and showcase the fruits for which the governorate is famous, including pomegranate and its varieties: Salakhani, Sawa, Surahanar, La Rash, Malasi, Shirin Karali, Kawa Hanar, and Ababayli are the most prominent types of pomegranates in Halabja.
Generally, there are about (10) types of pomegranate product in the area, but the Salakhani pomegranate constitutes 80% of the total pomegranate production and is the oldest type of pomegranate in Halabja.
Also, local products such as walnuts, honey, olive oil, dried pomegranate, and dairy products are exhibited. It begins at the end of October and the beginning of November to introduce the local and homegrown products of Halabja farmers.
This year, the remarkable Pomegranate Festival will be held in Halabja Park and Amusement City. The 11th festival will be organized on October 30, 2025 by the General Directorate of Agriculture and Tourism of Halabja, in coordination with the Halabja organizations network and media professionals.
It will last for three days, with more than 250 farmers and orchard owners participating with their products. More than (550) stalls have been prepared, (250) of which are dedicated to selling pomegranates and their products, while the others sell dairy products, honey, food, sweets, and women’s handicrafts.
The aim of this festival is to market local products, support the region’s farmers, provide access to fresh, clean, and reasonably priced products, strengthen the economy, and introduce the region’s pomegranate product. This is because the direct marketing of the product to consumers results in strengthening the economy and revitalizing the region. Ultimately, it leads to the integration of the positive aspects of both the tourism and agricultural sectors, diversifying the commercial activities of farmers, and creating job opportunities for individuals in the region in the agricultural and tourism fields.
Also, due to its high quality, the Kurdistan Regional Government annually exports it to the markets of America, Britain, and the UAE through local companies. This is due to the location of the land in Halabja and its favorable climate, and the high demand and customers for pomegranate products. Year after year, the area and quantity of pomegranate production is increasing. The annual production of Halabja Governorate is more than (30) thousand tons, and there are ten thousand acres of pomegranate orchards, which is continuously increasing. According to statistics, in (2025), more than (10) thousand acres of land were planted with pomegranate, and the quantity of the product increased to (31,000) tons in the area.
Benefits in terms of economy and tourism:
1. Increased tourist movement: In (2024), 285,000 tourists and visitors attended, distributed as follows: Day one (80) thousand, Day two (110) thousand, and Day three approximately (100) thousand. According to plans, this year we expect the number to exceed (300) thousand tourists. This is in addition to introducing tourists to the tourist sites in the Halabja Governorate area.
2. Increased income: The movement and activity of the market in general and restaurants, markets, tea houses, accommodation, food, and beverage services in particular, due to the arrival of guests, tourists, and visitors to the festival. The income of the Pomegranate Festival was only (10) million Dinars in (2015), but in (2024), the income increased to one billion (435) million Dinars.
3. Job creation: With the arrival of every single tourist to any country, (23) professions benefit. This means that this sector directly and indirectly creates a flood of job opportunities and revitalizes the local market and workforce. For example, the number of participants (sellers) was only (50) participants in (2015), but the number increased to (550-600) participants in (2024). This statistic tells us that the role and impact of this sector should not be overlooked.
The sales based on the type of participants were as follows:
1. Farmers (sellers of pomegranates and agricultural products), at a rate of 60%-70%.
2. Artisans and craftsmen (handicrafts), at a rate of 15%-20%
3. Sellers of Kurdish food and sweets, at a rate of 10%-15%.
4. Factories and local brands, at a rate of 5%.
4. Introduction of the region’s culture and hospitality: This festival includes several other diverse activities, including Kurdish singing and music, as well as the display of pictures and plastic art, among others, which express the cultural richness of the people of the area and the participation of a group of talented women with various products displayed in different sections of the festival to attract more tourists and guests. This leads to the strengthening of economic, social, cultural, and political ties and the mixing of Sorani, Kirmanji, Hawrami, Turk, and Christian from Zakho to Khanaqin, Arab, Persian, and foreign, among others. Due to the arrival of thousands of citizens and hundreds of families from different regions to Halabja and the lack of necessary hotels and motels and places for tourists to stay and rest, the houses of Halabja become accommodation for guests. This has served well in terms of further social and cultural revival, resulting in economic, social, and cultural development.