Today's Edition
RAJEEV CHERIAN (LIWA)
Celebrating the palm tree and the deep-rooted bond between the Emirati people and their land, the 22nd Liwa Dates Festival is underway in the oasis city of Liwa with wide community participation.
Organised by the Abu Dhabi Heritage Authority, the event kicked off on July 14 and runs until July 23.
The festival — which marks the season of rutab (freshly picked, semi-ripe dates) — features a prize purse of more than Dh8 million.
The agricultural event includes 23 competitions offering 295 prizes, making it one of the UAE's major agricultural and heritage events.
Stealing the limelight at the event are bunches of dates hanging from the stands for the largest bunch competition along with rutab baskets and palm trunk art displays at the main pavilion.
Folk performances, agricultural competitions, majalis gatherings, and the scent of Arabic coffee and oud filled the air as the community gathered to celebrate the palm tree, long a symbol of Emirati generosity.
More than an agricultural event, the festival has become a family destination, offering a lively environment with food stalls, products market, a heritage souk, a traditional crafts area, folk arts performances, a family zone, lectures and workshops.
Over the weekend, the festival witnessed large crowds, with some visitors arriving late into the night from across the country.
The oasis town glittered with displays of dates and palm produce as it celebrated its agricultural heritage.
