Abu Dhabi: The 17th Liwa Date Festival got under way today under the patronage of Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, under preventive and precautionary measures.
Major General Faris Khalaf Al Mazrouei, Commander-in-Chief of Abu Dhabi, and Chairman of the Cultural Programs and Heritage Festivals Committee - Abu Dhabi, was briefed during a tour of the event about efforts made by various committees, juries and teams to run the festival activities smoothly given the exceptional circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Held in the Al Dhafra Region in western Abu Dhabi emirate, the Liwa Date Festival is an annual event that introduces date producers to modern agricultural practices and facilitates the exchange of expertise on the best ways to produce the highest quality date.
The 10-day event features a wide array of competitions, displays and activities celebrating not only dates but the UAE's broader cultural heritage. The annual heritage festival in Abu Dhabi emirate will have prizes worth AED 8.2 million for 22 competitions.
The first day saw the competition for the heaviest date branch and best dubas date.
The festival also holds competitions for the best mangoes and lemons and best model farm.
