Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Award for Agricultural Excellence consolidates innovation and supports sustainability

Abu Dhabi, 12 April / WAM / The Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Award for Agricultural Excellence embodies one of the most prominent pioneering national initiatives that aims to bring about a qualitative shift in the agricultural sector, by establishing a culture of innovation and promoting concepts of sustainability, which contributes to supporting the food security system.

Over the course of 4 cycles, the award was keen to be an integrated platform for innovation and sustainability, as it targets various categories of workers in the agricultural sector and animal production, in addition to the institutions and bodies supporting this vital sector, and works to encourage the adoption of the best modern agricultural practices and enhance the use of advanced technologies, which contributes to raising production efficiency and improving the quality of local products.

Since its launch in September 2025 until now, the award has witnessed great momentum with the organization of five main accompanying festivals, including the Al Wathba Agricultural Festival, the Al Wathba Livestock Festival, the Al Wathba Food Festival, the Al Wathba Flower Festival, and the Al Wathba Honey Festival, in addition to many other events, with the aim of enhancing community interaction with agricultural and food activities, and highlighting the quality and diversity of local production. Encouraging consumers to support the national product.

These festivals and accompanying events formed a fundamental pillar in building a sustainable and strong agricultural sector, as they were held in the award pavilion within the Sheikh Zayed Festival in the Al Wathba area in Abu Dhabi, and provided an interactive environment that brings together producers, consumers and experts, and contributes to exchanging knowledge and experiences and enhancing community awareness of the importance of agriculture.

Al Wathba Honey Festival attracted an elite group of beekeepers and honey producers from various emirates of the country, and allowed them to display and market their products to a wide audience of visitors. The role of the festival was not limited to the marketing aspect, but rather extended to include developing the skills of the participants and introducing them to the best international practices in beekeeping, which contributes to raising the quality of production and enhancing the competitiveness of local honey.

In the same context, the Livestock Festival strengthened its role as a national platform supporting livestock breeders, embodying an integrated approach to building a sustainable food security system.

The festival witnessed a large turnout from breeders, with the scope of its competitions expanding to include various emirates of the country, which contributed to enhancing positive competition and motivating participants to improve the quality of production and develop breeding methods. These events also helped highlight the distinguished local breeds and support national efforts to preserve and develop them.

The Al Wathba Flower Festival also reflected the role of the award in promoting innovation, highlighted the cosmetic agriculture sector and stimulated creativity in garden design and flower production. The various competitions in this festival contributed to discovering and stimulating national talents, in addition to spreading the culture of environmental beauty and sustainability.

The role of the award is not limited to the productive aspects only, but has extended to include social and cultural dimensions, by organizing various activities such as heritage competitions for people of determination, which reflected the state’s established approach to empowering this group and enhancing their community participation. These events provide a comprehensive environment that allows people of determination to highlight their abilities and skills, while strengthening their connection to national heritage, in a way that consolidates the values ​​of identity and belonging.

On the other hand, aquatic activities enhanced awareness of the importance of this vital sector in supporting food security, by showcasing modern technologies and sustainable practices in fish farming. These events also contributed to linking producers with consumers, and introducing the public to the quality of local products, thus enhancing confidence in the national product.

These efforts are integrated to confirm that the Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Award for Agricultural Excellence is not just an honor for the distinguished, but rather an integrated system that works to develop the agricultural sector with all its components, through innovation, knowledge, and community partnership. It also contributes to supporting the UAE’s directions towards achieving sustainable food security, by enhancing local production, diversifying food sources, and adopting smart solutions in agriculture.

• For more: Follow Khaleejion 24 Arabic, Khaleejion 24 English, Khaleejion 24 Live, and for social media follow us on Facebook and Twitter