Abu Dhabi: Liwa Dates Festival begins, prizes worth Dh8.3 million to be distributed to farmers

Prizes worth over Dh8 million will be given out to hundreds of winning farmers at the dates festival which kicked off in Abu Dhabi's Al Dhafra area on Saturday.

The Liwa Dates Festival celebrates the UAE’s culture and heritage and supports local agriculture produce. It will run until July 24, 2022.

The 18th edition of the festival will include 23 main competitions and 293 prizes with a total value of Dh8.3 million.

Each year, thousands of farmers compete to win prizes for the heaviest date branch and the best fruit basket.

The festival aims to introduce date farmers to modern agricultural practices and facilitates the exchange of expertise on innovative ways to produce the best quality date.

The festival has been organised by Cultural Programs and Heritage Festivals Committee – Abu Dhabi, under the patronage of Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Presidential Court.

The event offers an opportunity to highlight the significance of palm trees in the Emirati culture and also to taste half-ripe Rutab dates.

In the UAE’s rich history, the palm tree occupies a pride of place as a national symbol of heritage and a major source for food security.

Farmers from across the UAE are taking part in Rutab Al-Dabbas Mazayna; several fruit competitions for all those who are big on kitchen garden farming; competitions for the model farm from participants from eastern and western Liwa and Al Dhafra; and a handicraft competition.

Staff Major General Pilot Faris Khalaf Al Mazrouei, Commander-in-Chief of the Abu Dhabi Police and Chairman of the Cultural Programmes and Heritage Festivals Committee-Abu Dhabi, said the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to support the agriculture sector will help strengthen food security and the national economy, completing the efforts started by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who established the foundations of the country’s agricultural sector.

Al Mazrouei also thanked the UAE leaders for promoting the event’s activities and competitions, which has made agriculture a culture among members of the community and is helping to achieve food security and sustainable agricultural production.

The festival also includes several activities in the folklore market, in addition to showcasing traditional crafts, theatre activities and a number of exciting events for all age groups.

The event is open to the public every day from 4pm to 10pm.

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• Abu Dhabi