Abu Dhabi: The 13th Liwa Date Festival got under way yesterday, with all kinds of well-known dates on display.
Held under the patronage of Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, and organised by the Cultural Programmes and Heritage Festivals Committee, the date festival, which is now in its 13th edition, is taking place in Al Dhafra region of Abu Dhabi. It will run till July 29.
Covering 34,000 square metres, the festival has an array of traditional activities and stalls for visitors, including areas such as the traditional market, which is selling locally made handicrafts.
At least 130 outlets are housed in the market area.
The Children’s Village area is also organising a number of activities to keep young people entertained.
As in previous years, the festival will also feature a number of competitions with a prize purse of Dh5.2 million.
More than 2,500 participants are expected to take part in the competitions, which include best dates, best locally grown lemons, best locally grown mangoes, best kept farm, and best heritage model.
The competitions aim to boost the quality and development of dates in the country.
Date palm trees hold a special place in Emirati culture, with more than 20 million palm trees in the UAE. The UAE is also among the top 10 date-producing countries in the world.
Farmers displaying their date products and various farming methods told Gulf News that the event has helped them gain useful inputs for their farming.
“We are happy to be a part of a colourful event that reflects our culture, tradition and heritage,” said Raed Mohammad, a Palestinian working with an Emirati farmer. “When we display new varieties of dates, people want to know about them. Many people are also eager to buy such new varieties.”
Hassan Mufid Al Kayali, a Jordanian working with an Emirati farmer, said the festival is an opportunity to showcase important technologies and innovations used in date farming.
“Many people were curious to know about clean water irrigation system, which I am displaying here,” he said.
Al Kayali said networking opportunities helps farmers know each other and share tips on improved farming methods.
The festival has become one of Al Dhafra’s key attractions and last year’s edition saw at least 70,000 visitors.
Liwa Date Festival
Where: Al Dhafra region of Abu Dhabi
When: Till July 29
Timing: 4pm-10pm daily
Admission: Free
Traditional outlets: 130
Area of festival: 34,000 square metres
