The Ministry of Environment and Water participates in the Sixth UAE International Festival for Palm Trees and Dates, taking place at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center. from November 26th until December 1st, 2012. The festival will be held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Presidential Affairs and the Chairman of Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority, with the participation and support of several other governmental institutions.
H.E. Engineer Saif Al-Shara’, the Assistant Undersecretary for Agricultural and Livestock Affairs at the Ministry, stated that the participation of the Ministry in this international event is due to special interest of UAE leaders in this blessed tree “the palm”. In his statement he also, highlight the efforts of the Ministry to promote and encourage the development of palm cultivation in the country, in addition to the importance of achieving the strategic objectives by the Ministry to raise the food security rates by increasing domestic agricultural production.
H.E. Eng. Al-Shara’ added that the Ministry’s platform in the exhibition will include a presentation on the achievements of the Ministry in the field of palm trees agricultural care and show a documentary about the experience of the Ministry in the management and implementation of the national campaign against palm weevil and the efforts to combat and contain this scourge. In addition, information on the initiative " Nakheelna" will be displayed, an initiative launched by the Ministry in cooperation with the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers, along with other initiatives of the federal government to develop services for its clients. The initiative "Nakheelna" is undertaken by applying preventive measures and adapting the latest techniques in detecting infections. In addition, the initiative promotes the use new technology to keep track and count of palm tree numbers. The Ministry has also provided special publications, booklets and posters to inform the public with information related caring for those trees and to present the varieties palm trees in the UAE.
The UAE Sixth International Festival for Palm Trees and Dates is considered unique event on an International level, as it opens its doors to a broad community and attracts date enthusiasts, customers, buyers, traders and manufacturers of date products. Many activities will take place during the festival, such as palm tree theater performances, date tasting and sampling, dates cuisine demonstration by celebrity chefs, special section for children activity and childcare and drawing and photography competitions.
It is expected that more than 20 thousand people will visit the festival. More than 200 foreign, Arab and leading local companies specialize in dates trading and its derivatives, and packaging will participate in the event, as well as the participation of 7 international platforms, and about 20 different countries around the world. The number of dates kinds that would be on display at the festival is more than 500 kinds and types.