Launch of the tenth edition of "Al Dhaid Dates Festival 2026"
Sharjah, July 24, 2017 – The activities of the tenth session of the “Al Dhaid Dates Festival”, organized by the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, were launched at the Expo Center Al Dhaid, and its activities will continue until the current July 26, in an exceptional edition that culminates the passage of a full decade since the launch of the event, which has become one of the most prominent agricultural and heritage stations on the Chamber’s annual agenda.
Leading palm growers and date producers from various emirates of the country, a number of government agencies, companies specialized in the agricultural sector, and productive families participate in the festival.
The festival was opened yesterday evening by His Excellency Abdullah Sultan Al Owais, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, in the presence of Sheikh Ahmed bin Abdullah bin Salem Al Qasimi, Dr. Muhammad Salman Al Hammadi, Assistant Undersecretary for the Food Diversity Sector in the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, a number of members of the Board of Directors of the Sharjah Chamber, His Excellency Muhammad Ahmed Amin Al Awadhi, Director General of the Chamber, Muhammad Musabih Al Tunaiji, the general coordinator of the festival, heads of municipal councils in the central and eastern regions, and a number of officials and representatives of government agencies and participating agricultural companies.
During their tour around the festival, the attendees were briefed on the farmers’ display of local dates and fruits and listened to the participants’ explanations about methods of caring for palm trees and ways to improve production. They also followed some of the competitions and heritage segments that accompanied the opening ceremony and gave the event a cultural character that reflects the depth of the connection between the agricultural heritage and the local identity of the city of Al Dhaid.
The ceremony also witnessed the honoring of the winners of the first day’s competitions, in addition to honoring the sponsors, supporters and partners in appreciation of their contributions to the success of the festival and achieving its goals.
Over the course of a decade of its journey, the festival succeeded in consolidating its position as a leading agricultural and heritage platform, achieving increasing growth in the volume of participation and public demand. Its first session attracted about 7,000 visitors and 40 participating platforms. It continued to achieve increasing growth rates until its ninth session, which recorded the attendance of more than 30,000 visitors, an increase of 25% compared to the previous session. The value of sales also exceeded two million dirhams, and 110 winners were honored in various competitions, which reflects its role in Supporting local production and enhancing competition for quality and excellence.
His Excellency Abdullah Sultan Al Owais stressed that these successes represent a practical translation of the vision of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, to make the central and eastern regions a vital center for agricultural wealth and food security, support farmers, and highlight the status of the palm tree as an integral part of the national identity.
His Excellency Mohammed Ahmed Amin Al Awadhi stressed the Sharjah Chamber’s keenness to develop the support tools provided to farmers and specialized companies and to transform the event into an awareness and investment platform that combines modern agricultural technology with sustainable traditional practices, which will reflect positively on the productivity of local farms and support entrepreneurs and productive families in the region.
Muhammad Musabah Al-Taniji said that the tenth session is characterized by growing community participation, which was reflected in the remarkable success of the “Bsharat Al-Qaidh” competition in its second edition, attracting 70 contestants who competed to present the finest types of date palm, and 20 of them were crowned winners in mid-June, stressing that these results express the farmers’ interest in the culture of excellence and competition that the festival has established over ten years, pointing out that the tenth session witnesses an intense focus on the dimensions of community development. Connecting young people with agricultural heritage and transferring the knowledge of our ancestors and palm care techniques to the new generation through workshops and interactive competitions designated for them.
The tenth session witnesses an agenda full of competitive competitions distributed over four days. The first competitions began yesterday with the Khunaizi Dates Dressing and Local Lemon Dressing Competitions, and continue on the second day of the festival with the Khalas Dates Dressing and Red Figs Dressing Competitions. The third day is devoted to the Shishi Dates Dressing competition, in addition to the Kharayef Dates competition for women from home. The festival concludes on its fourth day with the announcement of the winners of the “Elite Dates” competitions. Al-Dhaid Public” open to all participants and “Al-Dhaid Elite from the Northern Emirates”, in addition to the sheep seasoning competition for children.
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