SARA ALZAABI (ABU DHABI)
Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister of the UAE and Chairman of the Presidential Court, the 8th International Date Palm Conference began on Wednesday, turning the spotlight on an agricultural landscape that has been shifting toward greater use of new-age tech.
Held at Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi, the two-day event brings together ministers, policymakers, researchers, and global experts to tackle key challenges in the date palm sector and explore innovations that enhance efficiency and sustainability.
Dr Abdelouahhab Alboukhari Zaid, Secretary General of the Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation — affiliated with Erth Zayed Philanthropies Foundation under the UAE Presidential Court — said the conference serves as a global platform for exchanging knowledge and best practices to advance date palm cultivation.
This year, the event highlighted some of the latest research on the use of AI for the early detection of the red palm weevil, one of the most destructive pests in date palm farming. Concerns surrounding this pest were also addressed in in-depth sessions that explored the latest integrated control strategies.
A researcher from the Agricultural Research Centre in Egypt was among those who presented new approaches to controlling the pest’s spread and mitigating its impact on palm health and productivity.
“The new approach uses a biological pesticide delivered through an innovative device,” said Dr Olfat Arafa, who is evaluating three formulations with varying effectiveness. Her study has shown results pointing to “near-100%” efficacy.
Dr Arafa emphasised the broader impact of collaboration, noting that meetings such as the date palm conference strengthen efforts to combat the pest and solve challenges on the ground.
Pests such as the red palm weevil, however, can be countered through means other than pesticides. Dr Haneen Ibrahim from the National Research Centre in Egypt, for example, highlighted how biotechnology can be a game-changing approach in pest management and crop resilience.
“The most important aspect of our work is using biotechnology to enhance active compounds and antioxidants,” Dr Ibrahim said.
She added that their methods help “improve the palm’s resistance to pests by disrupting their biological functions”, while also aiming to increase nutritional value and overall biological resilience.
Besides pest control, other practical solutions and advanced studies were presented at the event, from smart farm monitoring systems to studies on carbon capture and innovative uses of palm waste. The conference also witnessed the launch of a smart digital platform documenting UAE date varieties.
Food science and technology researcher Dr Osama Dimassi highlighted the untapped potential of date seed byproducts.
“It is a waste to discard these materials,” Dr Dimassi told Aletihad, noting that the science to repurpose them already exists. “The human element ultimately determines the success or failure of any project,” he added.
From Iraq, Prof Dr Abdul Razzak Abdul Latif Jassim from the Department of Agricultural Machine and Equipment at the University of Baghdad presented a safety-focused agricultural machine.
Prof Jassim’s innovation addresses what he considers “the most difficult part of working with palm trees”: climbing. His solution allows farmers to work more efficiently, in less time and with greater productivity, while significantly improving safety.
Community initiatives have also taken centre stage, particularly those that link sustainability with livelihoods and responsible use of resources.
Dr Nihaya Abdulrahman, Director of Saaf Jordan, highlighted the success of a local initiative focused on improving incomes through environmentally driven solutions, including the development of sustainable packaging.
“We use around 70% palm fronds to produce sustainable packaging,” she said. “This idea would not have succeeded without the local community.”