Tech 4 Peace
Iraqis threaten visiting teams with (Garage Huwider)... What is it?
#Karaj_Huwider ("hashtag )takes over social media for the past two days, following the draw for the third round of the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, which took place last Thursday, June 25, 2025. The draw placed the Iraqi national team in Group 2 alongside South Korea, Jordan, Oman, Palestine, and Kuwait.
As a result, Iraqi social media accounts were buzzing with challenges to the group's rival teams, and posts carried the #Karaj_Huwider hashtag. This sparked curiosity among Arab bloggers, especially Omani commentator Khalil Al-Balushi, who posted on his account asking:
"What's the story behind Garage Huwider?"
"Garage Huwider": Nickname for Al-Basrah's (Palm Trunk Stadium)
Iraqi bloggers have dubbed Al-Basrah's Palm Trunk Stadium "Garage Huwider" in a metaphor suggesting that the Iraqi national team will defeat their opponents who will be hosted at the stadium.
The name originates from "Garage Huwider," a car repair shop in the famous Iraqi TV series "Aalam Al-Set Wahyba" (The World of Mrs. Wahyba), which had its first season in the 1990s and its second season last Ramadan. The word "garage" is a local term derived from the English word "garage."
According to the series' script, "Anyone who enters this garage does not come out safely," a phrase uttered by actor (Maki Awad), one of the series' prominent actors, describing the garage.
Iraqis have likened the Palm Trunk Stadium to the garage in the series, where no one leaves except with defeat.
Note
The first part of the article was edited on June 29, 2024, at 2:00 PM, replacing the date of Thursday when the draw for the third round of the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup took place, from June 25, 2025, to June 27, 2024, which is the correct date for Thursday.
