What to expect at the 10th Al Dhaid Date Festival in Sharjah

Sharjah: From prized Khneizi and Khalas dates to a new competition for women growing palms at home, this year's Al Dhaid Dates Festival is set to offer more than a showcase of the UAE's finest harvests. 

Returning for its milestone 10th edition from July 23 to 26 at Expo Al Dhaid, the festival will bring together hundreds of palm farmers, date producers, and agricultural experts from across the UAE in a celebration of farming, heritage, and community.

Organised by the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), the festival has grown over the past decade into one of the country's most significant agricultural events, helping farmers market their produce, exchange expertise, and preserve traditions deeply rooted in Emirati culture.

The details of this year's edition have been unveiled during a press conference at Expo Al Dhaid earlier today, attended by senior officials from SCCI, Al Wusta TV Channel, and the festival's organising committee.

A decade of supporting farmers

Marking 10 years since its launch, this year's festival reflects a decade of efforts to strengthen the agricultural sector and elevate the status of date farming in the UAE.

Speaking at the press conference, Mohammed Ahmed Amin Al Awadi, director general of SCCI, has noted that the festival has established itself as a leading platform for supporting agriculture, promoting sustainability, and preserving the country's rich farming heritage.

“The festival has played an important role in connecting date producers and industry experts from across the country, facilitating knowledge exchange and sector collaboration,” remarked Al Awadi.

He has pointed to Sharjah's broader efforts to develop agriculture through investments in modern farming practices, food security, and sustainability.

“This vision has led to the implementation of a range of high-impact agricultural projects that continue to strengthen the emirate’s agricultural ecosystem and support its broader economic objectives.”

New competition for women

One of the standout additions this year is a dedicated category for women who cultivate dates in their home gardens.

“The coming addition is a special competition for women. Those who have planted at home can enter the contest. This is to encourage families to take part in the initiative,” Jamal Saeed Bouzanjal, director of corporate communication at SCCI, told Gulf News on the sidelines of the event.

The Home-Grown Date Harvest competition is open to women aged 25 and above from the Northern Emirates. Participants must submit dates harvested from home gardens rather than farms, with organisers conducting verification visits before announcing the results.

The category has been designed to encourage greater family participation while highlighting the role of home gardening in preserving agricultural traditions.

More opportunities 

Reaching a 10th edition has not come without obstacles. The festival has weathered significant disruptions over the years, including the pandemic and periods of regional uncertainty.

“In the 10 years, we faced a lot of challenges. One of them was during Covid-19, and another is the recent situation in the region. Despite these, we continue to organise events like this to give them all the support and stand beside them to encourage them to take care of this sector. Through this exhibition, we give them a positive climate,” explained Bouzanjal.

For many growers, the festival has arrived at a crucial time, the beginning of the harvesting season.

“The impact of the initiative is to give the farmers a platform to showcase their products, especially during the first harvest of the season.” 

The event also serves as a meeting point for farmers, agricultural specialists, and visitors interested in learning more about local produce and cultivation practices. 

“We want to launch new initiatives, work out of the box, to attract people and give more interest to the festival.”

Milestone edition

According to Mohammed Musabeh Al Tunaiji, general coordinator of Al Dhaid Date Festival, the organising committee views this year's event as a landmark edition celebrating a decade of growth and achievement.

“The organising committee has maintained close coordination with the Sharjah Chamber to further develop the festival’s competition categories and expand its accompanying activities to incorporate additional educational and cultural initiatives,” stated Al Tunaiji.

He mentioned that the festival's focus on agricultural innovation and the adoption of modern farming technologies have been aimed at improving the efficiency and quality of local agricultural production.

Expanded competitions 

Moreover, this year's edition will feature an expanded list of competitions, with substantial prizes eyed at encouraging participation and rewarding excellence.

Farmers will compete in categories dedicated to popular date varieties including Khneizi, Khalas, and Shishi. Two elite contests have also been announced namely the General Dhaid Elite Dates and the Special Al Dhaid Elite Dates open for farmers from the Northern Emirates.

Additional categories include competitions for locally grown lemons and red figs, alongside the women's Home-Grown Date Harvest and children’s Ratb Al Kharaif Beauty.

The schedule begins on July 23 with the Khneizi Date Beauty contest and the Local Lemon competition. On July 24, participants will compete in the Khalas Date Beauty contest and the Red Fig competition. July 25 will feature the Shishi Date Beauty contest and the modern and traditional Home-Grown Date Harvest competition for women.

The festival concludes on July 26 with the General Dhaid Elite Dates and the Northern Emirates Dhaid Elite Dates competitions and the Ratb Al Kharaif Beauty contest for children. Competition entries will be accepted daily from 7am to 2pm, while winners will be honoured after Maghrib prayers.

Strict judging standards

To ensure fairness and transparency, judging committees will apply rigorous evaluation procedures across all competitions.

Rashid Mohair Al Ketbi, chairman of the festival's screening and evaluation committee, bared that clear quality standards have been established for all submissions.

Entries in the Bisharat Al-Qaydh competition have been required to weigh four kilograms, achieve a minimum 50 percent ripeness and uniformity rate, and be free from visible defects or insect infestation.

“The judging committees will implement rigorous evaluation procedures to ensure fairness, transparency, and consistency across all festival competitions,” assured Al Ketbi.

Winners of Bisharat Al-Qaydh 

In addition, the press conference has featured an award ceremony for winners of the second edition of the Bisharat Al-Qaydh competition, a specialised initiative launched by SCCI last year to encourage best practices in palm cultivation and reward producers of premium early-season dates.

Designed to mark the start of the Al-Qaydh harvesting season, the competition has attracted 70 participants this year.

Twenty winners have received prizes for presenting the best locally grown Naghal date samples from the 2026 harvest, displaying the growing popularity of the initiative among farmers and producers.

More than a festival

Meanwhile, the event is ultimately about preserving traditions while supporting the future of agriculture in the UAE. 

“Our goal is to preserve the cultural heritage of the UAE, encourage the care of palm trees, activate the economic movement in the city of Al Dhaid, and organise an annual festival of interaction between farmers and exchange of experts,” said Bouzanjal.

As hundreds of farmers prepare to bring their best harvests to Expo Al Dhaid next month, the festival's 10th edition will celebrate not only the season's finest dates but also a decade of efforts to keep one of the UAE's oldest agricultural traditions thriving.