Latest news with #21stLiwaDateFestival
Gulf Today
21-07-2025
- Business
- Gulf Today
US ambassador visits Liwa Date Festival
Martina Strong, Ambassador of the United States of America to the United Arab Emirates, praised the 21st Liwa Date Festival, currently taking place in Al Dhafra Region. During her visit to the festival, Ambassador Strong expressed her deep admiration for the distinguished event, which offers visitors a unique opportunity to explore dates and the diverse products derived from the palm tree. She noted that the experience provided her with valuable insight into traditional crafts and local cuisine. Strong also commended the rich educational content presented by the organisers and their tremendous efforts in hosting such diverse heritage festivals. These events, she emphasised, offer an authentic window into the UAE's vibrant cultural heritage, blending the past with the present. As part of her tour, the US Ambassador viewed several pavilions in the date and fruit beauty competitions. The 2025 Liwa Date Festival, held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court, has welcomed 50,225 visitors during its first five days. The 21st edition of the festival, organised by the Abu Dhabi Heritage Authority, continues until 27th July in Liwa City, Al Dhafra Region. The Liwa Date Festival is one of the UAE's most significant platforms celebrating palm heritage and traditional agriculture. It is an annual event eagerly awaited by farmers and the wider community due to its vital support for the agricultural sector and food security. The festival features 24 competitions with a total of 308 prizes valued at Dhs8.735 million, in addition to stage competitions designed for visitors. The event reflects Abu Dhabi's commitment to preserving and transmitting heritage across generations while celebrating the date harvest season and the palm tree, a deeply rooted cultural and social symbol in Emirati heritage. The festival also attracts visitors and tourists from across the UAE and the Gulf Cooperation Council, offering a traditional and interactive atmosphere that supports farmers and provides engaging experiences for families and attendees. WAM
Al Etihad
20-07-2025
- Al Etihad
US Ambassador to UAE visits Liwa Date Festival
20 July 2025 17:09 ABU DHABI (WAM) Ambassador of the United States of America to the United Arab Emirates, Martina Strong, praised the 21st Liwa Date Festival, currently taking place in Al Dhafra her visit to the festival, Ambassador Strong expressed her deep admiration for the distinguished event, which offers visitors a unique opportunity to explore dates and the diverse products derived from the palm noted that the experience provided her with valuable insight into traditional crafts and local also commended the rich educational content presented by the organisers and their tremendous efforts in hosting such diverse heritage festivals. These events, she emphasised, offer an authentic window into the UAE's vibrant cultural heritage, blending the past with the present. As part of her tour, the US Ambassador viewed several pavilions in the date and fruit beauty competitions.
Al Etihad
19-07-2025
- Business
- Al Etihad
Hamdan bin Zayed visits 21st Liwa Date Festival
19 July 2025 19:40 ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler's Representative in Al Dhafra Region and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD), has visited the 21st Liwa Date Festival, organised by the Abu Dhabi Heritage Authority and underway in Al Dhafra Region until July 27, 2025. Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President of the UAE, Deputy Prime Minister, and Chairman of the Presidential Court, the festival affirms the UAE leadership's commitment to preserving national heritage and supporting related sectors. Read more: #AletihadNewsCenter #UAE #AbuDhabi @Turathuna_ae — Aletihad English (@AletihadEn) July 19, 2025 His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed highlighted the continued support of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan toward efforts that safeguard Emirati culture and promote agricultural the visit, His Highness praised the festival's role in showcasing the cultural and agricultural significance of the palm tree as a symbol of national identity and in supporting local communities in Abu Dhabi, in line with the aspirations of the UAE Year of Highness underscored the festival's importance in empowering the local community, supporting farmers, and encouraging the cultivation of palm trees as a pillar of food security, and a key component of the UAE's heritage. He also commended the active participation of government and private entities, producers, manufacturers, and traditional craftswomen, highlighting Emirati traditions and promoting palm-related Highness toured the festival pavilions, reviewed entries in various competitions, met with judging committees for both the date and fruit competitions, and visited sections featuring heritage crafts, palm saplings, agricultural tools, a fresh dates market, the traditional souq, and displays from government and private sector organisations. His Highness was accompanied during the visit by His Excellency Faris Khalaf Al Mazrouei, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Heritage Authority; His Excellency Nasser Mohammed Al Mansouri, Undersecretary of the Ruler's Representative Court in Al Dhafra Region; His Excellency Abdullah Mubarak Al Muhairi, Acting Director General of the Authority; His Excellency Obaid Khalfan Al Mazrouei, Executive Director of the Festivals and Events Sector at the authority; and a number of officials.
Gulf Today
17-07-2025
- Business
- Gulf Today
Liwa Date Festival reinforces national identity, says Mansour
His Highness Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court, on Monday visited the 21st Liwa Date Festival in Liwa City, Al Dhafra Region. The festival – organised by the Abu Dhabi Heritage Authority under the patronage of His Highness – is considered one of the most prominent agricultural and heritage festivals in the UAE. The event reaffirms the Authority's commitment to celebrating one of the UAE's most enduring cultural and agricultural traditions. During his tour, His Highness reviewed several pavilions of government and private entities showcasing their services and innovations in the agricultural sector. He also listened to explanations about the festival's various competitions and activities, which highlight the social and economic value of the palm tree and its products. The event also underscores the tree's contribution to food security and the enhancement of agricultural sustainability. His Highness Sheikh Mansour stressed that the agriculture and food production sector was witnessing significant growth in the UAE, thanks to the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, and his continuous support for empowering farmers, producers, and manufacturers to ensure sustainable food production and strengthen national food security. He affirmed that the festival reflects the Emirati citizen's deep connection with the land and reinforces national identity by celebrating the palm tree as a cultural symbol. Supporting local agriculture and empowering farmers contributes to a balanced economic distribution and sustainable development aligned with the national goal of achieving food self-sufficiency. His Highness also praised the festival's role in boosting economic activity in the Al Dhafra Region by attracting thousands of visitors annually and serving as a platform that brings together farmers, experts, and pioneers in the agricultural industries — cementing the agricultural sector as a vital contributor to the national economy. Accompanying His Highness on the tour were Faris Khalaf Al Mazrouei, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Heritage Authority, and several officials from the authority. The Liwa Date Festival features numerous competitions with total prizes exceeding Dhs8.7 million. It includes a range of heritage activities that aim to preserve the legacy and status of the palm tree as a symbol of the past and a blessing of the present. It also strengthens family and community bonds, ensures intergenerational continuity, and promotes values of cooperation, belonging, and cultural heritage preservation — supporting the goals of the UAE's 'Year of the Community.' The festival also plays a vital role in supporting the local community and productive families in the region through the traditional market, which includes stalls for selling fresh dates, date products, palm-related items, factories, and nurseries. It also hosts pavilions of participating sponsors and supporters. The Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA) is participating in the 20th edition of the Liwa Date Festival, held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister, and Chairman of the Presidential Court. Organised by the Abu Dhabi Heritage Authority, the festival takes place in Liwa, Al Dhafra Region, Abu Dhabi, from 15th to 28th July 2024. The Authority emphasised the significance of their participation in the festival to support heritage and cultural events aimed at promoting the Al Dhafra region both economically and as a tourist destination. ADAFSA aims to showcase its role in developing the palm sector in Abu Dhabi through various plans and programmes aimed at enhancing palm cultivation and date production, supporting agricultural sustainability, and bolstering the biosecurity system to prevent diseases and pests. This year, ADAFSA's participation includes an introduction to its comprehensive range of services provided to farm owners, especially agricultural extension services. The Authority will highlight its efforts in pest control for palm trees, integrated pest management programmes, and promoting best practices in palm tree care, particularly focusing on the installation and management of pheromone and light traps and recommended treatment methods for palm trunk infestations. WAM
Al Etihad
16-07-2025
- Business
- Al Etihad
Now, farmers get expert agri-advice at their fingertips
16 July 2025 21:25 MAYS IBRAHIM (LIWA CITY)Questions about crop care are part of every farmer's day, but the answers are often buried in academic papers or require bringing in experts who are miles away. This Emirati entrepreneur is changing that by providing timely and reliable expert guidance at farmers' Al Kirbi spent the past five years developing Fesilah, a mobile application that cuts through the barriers of distance and complex scientific literature. In an interview with Aletihad at the 21st Liwa Date Festival in Liwa City, he explained how this tech-solution operates as an all-in-one agricultural knowledge base. Its vast repository of resources includes more than 3,700 scientific articles, carefully curated and summarised to just two pages for easy reading - a crucial feature for busy farmers who may not have the time to sift through lengthy research range from seed selection and irrigation techniques to sustainability, plant diseases, post-harvest practices, and even agricultural app also catalogues over 750 varieties of domestic, foreign, and seasonal crops, along with details on more than 750 international and local agricultural exhibitions, and over 650 global conferences and information access, the smart application provides a virtual "Dr. Fesilah" service, according to Al allows farmers to communicate with a team of expert agricultural engineers for tailored advice on cultivation methods, irrigation systems, fertiliser use, pruning techniques, post-harvest handling, or diagnoses and treatments for plant health launched only five months ago, the application has already attracted over 15,000 agricultural users across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Oman, with plans to expand globally and support additional languages. Inspiration Behind the App The idea was born from Al Kirbi's experience working in an administrative role in the public sector, where he witnessed firsthand the difficulties farmers face without immediate access to expert guidance."It's hard for agricultural engineers to be onsite all the time," he said. "Fesilah solves that by bringing expert advice directly to farmers' phones."Al Kirbi believes the app can play a vital role in bolstering regional food security. By offering accurate, localised guidance, Fesilah empowers farmers to increase yields, reduce waste, and adopt more sustainable practices, he said. The app's name, Fesilah, is derived from the Arabic word for a young offshoot of a date palm. According to Al Kirbi, the concept is also inspired by a hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), which encourages planting trees even if the world were coming to an end.
