Abu Dhabi: The Western Region’s Municipality is the backbone of the annual Liwa Date Festival, supporting its mission of sharing and exchanging cultures.
The local government of the Western Region oversees cleaning of the location before the tent is set up and organises parking, according to Hamad Al Hameli, PR manager of the Western Region Municipality.
“We use to live in difficult times with just camels, trees and culture,” Al Hameli told Gulf News. Therefore, in order not to forget about the UAE’s heritage, the majority of Emiratis bring their children as a reminder of where they came from and expose them to what life used to be, he said.
Speaking to Gulf News about the importance of the date exhibition, Al Hameli spoke of the sharing of cultures with different people which has instigated understanding.
“All the people here come from different countries, and Liwa has been here for about 350 years,” Al Hameli stated.
The date festival has been around for 11 years and the municipality has been with the festival since the beginning, Al Hameli explained.
The exhibition always attracts other people who bring their own cultures. This transaction has led to diversifying the types of dates grown in the UAE, according to the municipality’s PR manager.
Only dates from the UAE used to be cultivated, but because of the overlap in traditions, dates from all over the Middle East can be found in the country. Al Hameli has started buying dates from Tunisia and Iraq to plant in his own farm.
The location of the festivities is the epitome of Emirati culture, according to Al Hameli. “Everything is in Liwa when it comes to tradition, such as dates, handicrafts — basket weaving, clothes and tents,” he added.
The local government has two projects in the works. The stall at the Date Festival displayed models of a mall which will be located in Al Gharbia. It is expected to be built in the coming year, Al Hameli said.
-Heidi Pullyard is a trainee at Gulf News
