Western Asia
Video Chat with People from Iraq
Iraq is where the Tigris and Euphrates run through the land once called Mesopotamia, so history comes up naturally, from ancient Babylon and Ur to the old streets of Baghdad. The person you're matched with might be in Baghdad, in Basra near the Gulf, or in Erbil or Sulaymaniyah in the mountainous north. Iraqi Arabic is spoken across most of the country, Kurdish is widely spoken in the north, and Turkmen, Syriac and other languages add to the mix. Many younger adults study English and are happy to practice it.
Iraq's clocks sit at UTC+3 with no daylight saving, which makes Baghdad eight hours ahead of New York in winter and seven in summer. Tea matters here: strong, sweet chai in small glasses goes with almost any visit. Food talk flows easily too, from masgouf (river fish grilled over an open fire) to dolma, kleicha cookies and a Baghdadi breakfast of geymar and fresh bread. Football gets people animated, and Iraqi maqam and modern pop give you plenty to share. For a few phrases before you start, see our Arabic practice page.
Iraq at a glance
| Flag | 🇮🇶 |
|---|---|
| Official name | Republic of Iraq |
| Capital | Baghdad |
| Region | Asia · Western Asia |
| Official languages | Arabic, Aramaic and Sorani |
| Currency | Iraqi dinar (ع.د, IQD) |
| Calling code | +964 |
| Time zone | Arabian Standard Time (Asia/Baghdad) |
How to say hello
A few words of Arabic make a great first impression, even if you switch to English right after.
| Language | Phrase | Say it | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arabic (Iraqi) | هلا! | HA-la | Hi! |
| Arabic (Iraqi) | شكو ماكو؟ | SHAH-ku MAH-ku | What's new? (literally "what is there, what isn't") |
| Sorani (Kurdish) | سڵاو | slaw | Hello |
| Sorani (Kurdish) | چۆنی؟ | CHO-nee | How are you? |
Tips for chatting with people from Iraq
- Answer "Shaku maku?" with "Maku shi" (MAH-ku shee), "nothing much," and you'll usually get a smile.
- Iraqi Arabic differs from Gulf or Egyptian Arabic in vocabulary and sound, sometimes turning a k into a ch, so ask about any word that's new to you.
- In the north, Kurdish may be someone's first language; opening with "Slaw" shows you've noticed.
- Ask for a food recommendation, like the best place for masgouf or a family dolma recipe; it's an easy route to a longer chat.
Only meet people from Iraq
Omlet matches you Worldwide by default. To meet only people from Iraq, use the country filter, the only filter Omlet has:
- Open Omlet and press Country on the control panel.
- Search for Iraq and select it.
- Press Start. Press Next to meet someone else from Iraq, or switch back to Worldwide any time.
Your first day is free: you add a card through Stripe to start it, and nothing is charged that day. When the 24 hours end, the country filter costs $3 one time, charged to that card, unless you cancel before then in Settings (if you cancel, you can still pick a country until the day ends). It's not a subscription, and it stays unlocked on that device and browser. It doesn't carry over to other devices or browsers, and clearing your browser data removes it. There's one free day per device, home network and card. Payment goes through Stripe, so Omlet never sees your card number.
The filter works both ways, and matching can be slower when fewer people from Iraq are online. Chatting itself is free, and Worldwide matching never costs anything.
Your own country is detected automatically and shown to the people you meet as a flag.
Neighboring countries
Iraq borders 6 countries. Curious about the people next door? Meet them too: