Today's Edition
SARA ALZAABI (AL AIN)
At the first edition of Al Ain Dates Festival, running until January 8, Dr. Abdelouahhab Zaid, Secretary-General of the Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation, said the accolade promotes sustainability, innovation and awareness about date palms' importance for food and economic security.
"Al Ain Dates Festival is an important platform that promotes sustainable agriculture and preserves traditional date cultivation through a range of efforts and activities that focus on sustainable development and protection of agricultural heritage," he explained.
Organised by the Abu Dhabi Heritage Authority, the festival celebrates the date palm trees' role in Emirati heritage and features seven competitions, a lively auction, traditional markets and cultural displays.
There is a focus on blending modern technology with traditional practices, which aligns with the UAE's vision of balancing development with environmental protection, educating the public and encouraging collaboration.
Dr. Zaid added: "The award contributes to creating an environment that encourages innovation in date palm cultivation and production during the Al Ain Dates Festival, through a set of activities and initiatives that aim to enhance creativity, motivate specialists to innovate in scientific research, exchange knowledge and develop sustainable agricultural techniques."
The award promotes environmental sustainability, productivity and food security by encouraging innovations in the date processing industry, impacting sectors like food, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and biofuels, as well as facilitating knowledge exchange between farmers and experts.
Dr. Zaid continued: "The award helps farmers gain recognition during the Al Ain Date Festival through a set of tools, most notably providing the opportunity for distinguished farmers to compete in the award categories, in order to highlight their efforts and support their contributions to the development of the date palm cultivation sector."
The competition honours farmers for their exceptional date palm cultivation and production, recognising their achievements, and sharing their success stories through festival-related media, thereby enhancing their status beyond national borders and promoting sustainable development.
"The award provides an opportunity for festival visitors and specialists to see the many recent innovations in the field of date palm cultivation, which had previously won the award in the Agricultural Innovation category, where the number of winners of this category reached 22 innovators, representing 11 countries from across the world during the period 2009 to 2024, out of whom we proudly claimed 7 winners of agricultural innovation from the United Arab Emirates," Dr. Zaid said.
He also said the award promotes the UAE's date industry through international festivals and conferences, boosting its global reputation for quality and innovation while honoring researchers, farmers and innovators.
On the festival's role in preserving the UAE's heritage, he said: "Al Ain Date Festival plays a prominent role in preserving the legacy of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founder of the United Arab Emirates and the builder of its agricultural renaissance, who gave exceptional attention to date palm trees and considered them a symbol of heritage, sustainability and prosperity.
"The festival highlights the importance of date palm trees as an integral part of Emirati culture and environmental and economic heritage. It sheds light on the late Sheikh Zayed's initiatives aimed at increasing date palm cultivation areas, such as establishing model farms and achieving self-sufficiency in date farming."
Dr. Zaid further noted the UAE's leadership in date palm cultivation, noting that the Al Ain Date Festival serves as a strategic platform for innovation, sustainability and farmer support, while establishing the UAE as a global hub for high quality dates.
