Abu Dhabi Date Palm Exhibition a compass to Arab dates sector’s development: Nahyan bin Mubarak

ABU DHABI, 7th December 2021 (WAM) – The Date Palm Exhibition 2021 was launched on Tuesday at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Presidential Affairs.

The event is being organised by Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation in collaboration with ADNEC, in the presence of Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, Chairman of the Award’s Board of Trustees, and a large official and Arab presence in conjunction with the 11th edition of the Sial Middle East 2021 exhibition, which runs from 07 to 09 December.

Sheikh Nahyan visited the Exhibition’s pavilions with the presence of Dr. Abdelouahhab Zaid, Award’s Secretary General, where he expressed his appreciation to all the UAE’s efforts and achievements that led to the significant reputation, and high quality of Emirati and Arab dates, regionally and internationally. Thanks to the ongoing efforts of Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation, under the guidance and support of H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Presidential Affairs, the first supporter of date palm cultivation and production in the UAE, and the continuous follow-up of Sheikh Nahyan, in organising the Arab dates festivals in Egypt, Sudan, Jordan and Mauritania.

The Award’s Secretary General briefed Sheikh Nahyan on the success achieved by the Award in developing the infrastructure of date palm cultivation and production sector during the Award’s fourteen years journey, at the national, regional, and international levels, highlighting the fact that the Abu Dhabi Date Palm Exhibition in its 6th edition, continues its successful career and its pivotal role in highlighting the importance of dates and enhancing food security, as well as strengthening Abu Dhabi’s position as the capital of dates and a platform for the development of this sector, by providing the needed support, and working on connecting date suppliers from across the world.

The Abu Dhabi Date Palm Exhibition is significant worldwide, as it allows cooperation of companies in the field of date palm, and represents the largest international platform that allows exhibitors the opportunity to showcase their products and enhance their presence in the global market.

The exhibition attracted more than 50 exhibitors specialized in date palm cultivation and dates production representing 10 countries: the United Arab Emirates, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Republic of Sudan, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Kingdom of Morocco, Sultanate of Oman, France, Republic of Namibia, and the state of Palestine, which confirms the success of this important exhibition in establishing the position of the capital Abu Dhabi, as a key player in the date sector in the Middle East and the world, especially after its success in attracting a large number of key buyers interested in importing dates, the exhibition also aims to achieve a streamlined communication between date producers and manufacturers in the Arab region, with major investors from around the world, within what is known as securing the value chain and food supply to contribute to enhancing food security at the national and international levels.

Dr. Abdelouahhab Zaid, also stressed on the keenness of the Award’s General Secretariat to meet the vision of the UAE’s leadership, and to enhance food securit through self-sufficiency of dates because of its strategic storage feature, which is a basic food security and social stability factor.

The hosting programme of key buyers, by the Award’s General Secretariat, also provided a space for business meetings (B2B) between the world’s top date buyers and selected exhibitors, enhancing the level of external contracting requirements through quick sessions.