Abu Dhabi: The traditional and iconic fruit of the UAE will once again be celebrated at the 12th annual edition of the Liwa Date Festival, with the organisers announcing the details of the festival at a press conference on Sunday.
Held under the patronage of Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, the Liwa Date Festival has become a key cultural event in the UAE, highlighting the heritage and close relationship Emiratis have formed with the date over the centuries.
“Palm trees and dates do represent an integral part of our deep-rooted local heritage. Hence, we continue to work towards the development of the palm plantation in the UAE in line with the guidance of the late Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founder of the Emirati agricultural renaissance,” said Obaid Khalfan Al Mazroui, director of the Liwa Date Festival.
“The festival aims at providing a unique opportunity for the different generations to discover and learn about the heritage and traditions of the ancestors,” he added.
Al Mazroui said that the festival would hold several competitions with a total prize money of Dh6 million.
“We will be awarding 220 prizes worth Dh6 million to winners from a range of heritage, cultural, art and farm produce competitions, including competitions such as best dates, lemons and mangoes.
“Every year the quality of dates [that are brought for the competition] are improved, and this is our target… it is not about the quantity [of people taking part] but the quality,” he added.
Al Mazroui also noted that the festival was expecting a large number of visitors, and that the festival area has been increased by 20 per cent.
“The Liwa Date Festival is expected to attract up to 70,000 visitors to the Western Region this year… the festival space has also been enlarged by 20 per cent, and will occupy over 20,000 square metre,” he said.
“Additionally, there will be a lot of workshops for children so that they can be introduced and educated on the traditions of the UAE,” he added.
Liwa Date Festival
Where: Western Region, Abu Dhabi
When: July 20 – July 30
Timings: Daily 4pm to 10pm
Competitions:
Al Ratab (half-ripe dates) beauty contest
Best mangoes and best lemons
Fruit basket competition
Model farm award
Best heritage model competition
Photography competition via Instagram
Website: liwadatefestival.ae
(With inputs from Omnia Fahim)
