emirates7 - Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan—Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister, and Chairman of the Presidential Court—the 21st Liwa Date Festival will be held from 14th to 27th July in Liwa City, located in the Al Dhafra Region.
Organised by the Abu Dhabi Heritage Authority, the festival continues its mission to honour one of the UAE’s most treasured cultural and agricultural traditions.
Coinciding with the nation’s annual date harvest season, the event underscores the historical and societal significance of palm trees and dates in Emirati culture. It aims to promote sustainability in agriculture and heritage, increase public awareness of the vital role of farming in the UAE, and offer encouragement to local growers. The festival also aligns with broader efforts to support food security and Abu Dhabi’s pursuit of modern, sustainable agricultural techniques.
This year’s edition includes 24 contests, with 12 dedicated to date “mazayna” competitions. These cover varieties such as Dabbas, Khalas, Fard, Khenaizi, Buma’an, Shishi, Zamli, as well as the Largest Date Bunch, and elite competitions for Al Dhafra, Liwa, and Al Ain (Fard and Khalas). Additionally, seven competitions focus on fruits, including various types of lemons, mangoes, and figs (red and yellow), alongside a “Local Fruits Basket” contest.
Three “Model Farm” competitions will also be held, targeting farms in the Western and Eastern Mahadir and Al Dhafra cities. Further contests include the Most Beautiful Palm Frond Basket and a creativity challenge using palm trunks.
Total prize money for the 2024 festival exceeds AED 8.735 million.
For both the Dabbas and Khalas date contests, 25 prizes will be awarded, with AED 446,000 allocated per category. The first-place winner in each receives AED 100,000, second AED 75,000, and third AED 40,000. Other varieties—Shishi, Buma’an, Khenaizi, Fard, and Zamli—offer 15 prizes each, with AED 367,000 in total per contest and the same top-three rewards.
Al Ain’s dedicated Fard Dates Contest also features 15 prizes, and the Khalas category offers 25. Both maintain the same tiered prize amounts for the top three winners.
The elite contests—Liwa and Al Dhafra—will each present 15 prizes. In Al Dhafra, the top prize is AED 200,000, followed by AED 150,000 and AED 100,000, totalling more than AED 700,000. Liwa’s elite category offers AED 125,000 for first place, AED 100,000 for second, and AED 60,000 for third, with an overall pool above AED 500,000.
The Largest Date Bunch category includes 15 prizes with a total of AED 234,000, awarding AED 50,000 for first, AED 40,000 for second, and AED 30,000 for third.
In the fruit categories, both local and mixed mangoes will compete in two subcategories, offering ten prizes each and a combined prize fund of AED 234,000.
Lemon and fig competitions—each with local and mixed/red-yellow subcategories—carry AED 117,000 in prize money per group, with ten prizes each. The Local Fruit Basket Contest boasts a substantial AED 400,000 in total prizes, awarding AED 200,000, AED 120,000, and AED 80,000 for the top three places.
Each of the three Model Farm Competitions comes with a prize pool of AED 750,000. The first-place winner receives AED 300,000, second AED 180,000, and third AED 120,000.
The Most Beautiful Date Basket Competition and the Palm Trunk Creativity Contest will each distribute ten prizes, focusing on reviving traditional crafts and encouraging sustainability through creative reuse of palm materials.
Beyond the competitions, the festival offers a rich schedule of cultural events and heritage programming that honours the symbolic role of the date palm in UAE culture. Activities aim to promote family values, community spirit, and intergenerational engagement, aligning with the national theme of the “Year of the Community.”
The festival also provides a vital economic boost to the Al Dhafra Region, supporting local producers and families through a traditional market featuring date products, local cafes, nurseries, food factories, and participating institutions. Daily stage events include folk performances, quizzes, lectures, cultural evenings, and more.
Serving as a collaborative platform for farmers, agricultural companies, researchers, and experts, the Liwa Date Festival plays a pivotal role in supporting the agricultural industry and ensuring its future sustainability.
Organised by the Abu Dhabi Heritage Authority, the festival continues its mission to honour one of the UAE’s most treasured cultural and agricultural traditions.
Coinciding with the nation’s annual date harvest season, the event underscores the historical and societal significance of palm trees and dates in Emirati culture. It aims to promote sustainability in agriculture and heritage, increase public awareness of the vital role of farming in the UAE, and offer encouragement to local growers. The festival also aligns with broader efforts to support food security and Abu Dhabi’s pursuit of modern, sustainable agricultural techniques.
This year’s edition includes 24 contests, with 12 dedicated to date “mazayna” competitions. These cover varieties such as Dabbas, Khalas, Fard, Khenaizi, Buma’an, Shishi, Zamli, as well as the Largest Date Bunch, and elite competitions for Al Dhafra, Liwa, and Al Ain (Fard and Khalas). Additionally, seven competitions focus on fruits, including various types of lemons, mangoes, and figs (red and yellow), alongside a “Local Fruits Basket” contest.
Three “Model Farm” competitions will also be held, targeting farms in the Western and Eastern Mahadir and Al Dhafra cities. Further contests include the Most Beautiful Palm Frond Basket and a creativity challenge using palm trunks.
Total prize money for the 2024 festival exceeds AED 8.735 million.
For both the Dabbas and Khalas date contests, 25 prizes will be awarded, with AED 446,000 allocated per category. The first-place winner in each receives AED 100,000, second AED 75,000, and third AED 40,000. Other varieties—Shishi, Buma’an, Khenaizi, Fard, and Zamli—offer 15 prizes each, with AED 367,000 in total per contest and the same top-three rewards.
Al Ain’s dedicated Fard Dates Contest also features 15 prizes, and the Khalas category offers 25. Both maintain the same tiered prize amounts for the top three winners.
The elite contests—Liwa and Al Dhafra—will each present 15 prizes. In Al Dhafra, the top prize is AED 200,000, followed by AED 150,000 and AED 100,000, totalling more than AED 700,000. Liwa’s elite category offers AED 125,000 for first place, AED 100,000 for second, and AED 60,000 for third, with an overall pool above AED 500,000.
The Largest Date Bunch category includes 15 prizes with a total of AED 234,000, awarding AED 50,000 for first, AED 40,000 for second, and AED 30,000 for third.
In the fruit categories, both local and mixed mangoes will compete in two subcategories, offering ten prizes each and a combined prize fund of AED 234,000.
Lemon and fig competitions—each with local and mixed/red-yellow subcategories—carry AED 117,000 in prize money per group, with ten prizes each. The Local Fruit Basket Contest boasts a substantial AED 400,000 in total prizes, awarding AED 200,000, AED 120,000, and AED 80,000 for the top three places.
Each of the three Model Farm Competitions comes with a prize pool of AED 750,000. The first-place winner receives AED 300,000, second AED 180,000, and third AED 120,000.
The Most Beautiful Date Basket Competition and the Palm Trunk Creativity Contest will each distribute ten prizes, focusing on reviving traditional crafts and encouraging sustainability through creative reuse of palm materials.
Beyond the competitions, the festival offers a rich schedule of cultural events and heritage programming that honours the symbolic role of the date palm in UAE culture. Activities aim to promote family values, community spirit, and intergenerational engagement, aligning with the national theme of the “Year of the Community.”
The festival also provides a vital economic boost to the Al Dhafra Region, supporting local producers and families through a traditional market featuring date products, local cafes, nurseries, food factories, and participating institutions. Daily stage events include folk performances, quizzes, lectures, cultural evenings, and more.
Serving as a collaborative platform for farmers, agricultural companies, researchers, and experts, the Liwa Date Festival plays a pivotal role in supporting the agricultural industry and ensuring its future sustainability.