Abu Dhabi: The third edition of the Liwa Date Festival and Auction, opened on Friday Oct. 11 at the Zayed City, Al Dhafra.
Being held under the patronage of Sheikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler’s Representative in Al Dhafra Region, the event will continue until October 20.
The festival, organised by the Abu Dhabi Heritage Authority, welcomed the Republic of Iraq as the guest of honour for this edition, with the aim of strengthening ties, exchanging agricultural expertise, and enhancing relations between the two countries in vital sectors.
Hertiage festival
The event aims to establish itself as one of the foremost international heritage festivals by promoting the production and processing of dates, showcasing the finest varieties, contributing to food security strategies, and encouraging farmers and date producers to improve the quality of their products. It will also serve as a platform for exchanging expertise and research on palm cultivation.
Celebrating the 2024 date harvesting season, the festival will feature 20 competitions with a total of 167 prizes, including nine date competitions, two cooking contests, five honey competitions, and two each for photography and painting.
A daily highlight of the event is the date auction, which is especially beloved by date enthusiasts. The auction will offer visitors the chance to bid on and purchase premium-quality Emirati dates from a wide variety of types.
Diverse activities
The festival also present diverse activities supporting the agricultural sector and the date industry in the UAE, with participation from both government and private entities. These participants will host interactive programmes and awareness platforms for farmers and visitors through daily events.
The festival also features a traditional market, date and agricultural tools shops, a honey village, a crafts corner, two art exhibitions, the Kenaz Art Studio, an arts workshop, and other distinctive areas offering visitors a unique experience, along with a variety of performances by the Abu Dhabi Folklore Group.
