Abu Dhabi set to host 12th Liwa Date Festival in July

ABU DHABI, 13th June, 2016 (WAM) -- Under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, the Cultural Programmes and Heritage Festivals Committee - Abu Dhabi, is organising the 12th edition of the Liwa Date Festival from 20th to 30th of July, 2016, in the city of Liwa in Al Gharbia (the Western Region), in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. Held on an area stretching over 20,000 square metres, the festival has turned into a major event on the calendar of annual tourist festivals in Al Gharbia region. It is expected to attract between 60,000 and 70,000 visitors, including foreign tourists, who come to enjoy the various activities and discover the different aspects of authentic Emirati heritage. With a total value of more than AED6 million, 220 prizes will be awarded to winning participants in the various heritage, cultural and art competitions, notably the Mazayna (competitions for the best dates, including different types and varieties), Best Lemons and Best Mangoes, the Fruits of the House competition, the Best Heritage Model competition, and the Model Farm Award. "The Liwa Date Festival is one of the most significant events organised by the committee with the aim of reinforcing heritage as a starting point to progress towards an honourable and promising future. Such an endeavour ensures a cultural development that celebrates heritage and safeguards popular legacy for generations to come," said Director of the Liwa Date Festival, Obaid Khalfan Al Mazrouei. "In each new edition, we remain keen on celebrating the date season, as part of a comprehensive vision to protect and safeguard the tangible and intangible heritage of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. The palm trees and dates 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 Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founder of the Emirati agricultural renaissance, and the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces. We also thank our leaders for providing all forms of support for the various heritage festivals and activities," Al Mazrouei added. Al Mazrouei hailed the constant and unlimited support of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Ruler's Representative in the Western Region. He also extended his thanks to H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, for his generous support for the Liwa Date Festival. The Festival aspires to stimulate the economic activity in Al Gharbia region, and highlight the various elements of the Emirati culture, on the regional and international levels. One of the top priorities and key objectives of the Festival is to encourage farmers to secure more quality so as to obtain better chances of excellence and competition in the UAE and the world. Today, the festival is pressing ahead with efforts to raise awareness among local farmers of the newest agricultural innovations, and the best ways to look after palm trees, with the aim of achieving better economic benefits. The event constitutes a platform to encourage farmers to take into account the quality of the production which is needed to raise the status of Emirati dates to the highest ranks and achieve local and international excellence. Al Mazrouei said, "The festival aims at providing a unique opportunity for the different generations to discover and learn about the heritage, and the traditions of the ancestors. The palm tree was, and will remain, a symbol of the history and culture of the Arab society in general, and the Emirati society in particular." "The historical status of the palm tree requires us to exert all the necessary efforts that are needed to enhance the role of the palm tree and dates in our daily life and preserve their eminent and esteemed position," he noted. According to the United Nations, the UAE has succeeded, over the last decades, in planting about 130 million trees, including 22 million palm trees, which constitutes 20% of the total number of palm trees in the world. The UAE also occupies a leading position among more than 40 countries as far as the production capacity and export volume are considered. "We are still striving to achieve a global reality that is worth our pride when it comes to the field of palm trees and dates. We also remain keen on preserving our historical and national legacy through the intensification of efforts that aim at encouraging the farmers to expand and develop the cultivation of good varieties of dates," Al Mazrouei added. Organised on the sidelines of the festival, the Traditional Market is considered as a key part of this special annual event. All the products on display reflect the spirit and the authenticity of Emirati society. The Market provides a unique opportunity for Emirati families to display tools, equipment, and handmade products that used to constitute an integral part of the daily lives of their ancestors. These products are primarily derived from palm trees and dates. Over the years, the festival has turned into an annual occasion to exhibit the latest innovations and food products that rely in their manufacture on half-ripe dates as well as palm-related materials. The Liwa Date Festival also features a unique bouquet of exciting activities that attract all the family and reinforce the culture of palm trees and dates in the hearts and minds of different generations. In each new edition, the Festival enjoys the support of different state and official bodies, notably the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority, the Ruler's Representative Court in the Western Region, the Department of Municipal Affairs (Western Region Municipality), the Abu Dhabi Distribution Company, the General Directorate of Abu Dhabi Police (Western Region Police Directorate), the Abu Dhabi Farmers' Services Centre, the Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority, the Centre of Waste Management (Tadweer), the Department of Transport, the United Arab Emirates University, and Baynounah TV, the media partner of the committee. - Emirates News Agency, WAM - http://www.wam.ae/en/news/emirates/1395296650400.html