Economy

PHOTOS: Sulaimani inaugurates ‘life’ festival to showcase local products

Jiyan is one of many exhibitions in the Kurdistan Region to highlight local businesses as an alternative to imports from outside the country, mainly neighboring Turkey and Iran.

Halgurd Sherwani 2021/06/04 12:40

Kurdistan Sulaimani Business

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Kurdistan Region’s Sulaimani province launched a new festival named Jiyan (Life) at which locally manufactured products from nearly 100 businesses were on display.

Jiyan is one of many exhibitions in the Kurdistan Region to highlight local businesses as an alternative for Kurdish consumers who are heavily dependent on imports from outside the country, mainly neighboring Turkey and Iran.

Gemstones are presented at Life festival in the Kurdistan Region's Sulaimani province, June 3, 2021. (Photo: Dana Hama Gharib/Kurdistan 24)

The festival, in which 100 local businesses took part, showcased various products, including gemstones, seasoning, handmade textiles, marinated vegetables, and legumes.

A Kurdish female business owner diffuses a perfume into a bottle, June 3, 2021. (Photo: Dana Hama Gharib / Kurdistan 24) — A Kurdish female business-owner diffuses perfume into a bottle, June 3, 2021. (Photo: Dana Hama Gharib / Kurdistan 24)

The businesses were mostly owned by women.

Handmade Kurdish ornaments are showcased by a local business owner, June 3, 2021. (Photo: Dana Hama Gharib / Kurdistan 24)

Last month the Kurdish capital Erbil embraced the first Diplomatic Friendship Bazaar, in which various local businesses attended and displayed their products.

Headscarf and fabrics are showcased at Life festival in the Kurdistan Region's Sulaimani province, June 3, 2021. (Photo: Dana Hama Gharib/Kurdistan 24) — Headscarves and fabric are showcased at Life festival in the Kurdistan Region's Sulaimani province, June 3, 2021. (Photo: Dana Hama Gharib/Kurdistan 24)

Public sector jobs remain the biggest employer in the region, but following the crash in oil prices, from which the region’s budget is mostly derived, the Kurdistan Region has looked to alternative sources of income for its citizens.