Under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler's Representative in Al Dhafra Region, the second edition of Liwa Date Festival and Auction will be held from 21st to 30th September in Liwa City, Al Dhafra Region, in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.

The event is organised by the Cultural Programmes and Heritage Festivals Committee - Abu Dhabi in collaboration with Emirates Heritage Club.

The festival comes within the framework of the heritage and agricultural events that are held in the UAE in general and the Al Dhafra region in particular, with the aim of celebrating the date harvest season and showcasing the palm tree and its products as a national wealth and an essential component of the cultural heritage.

The festival seeks to enhance the role of the palm tree and its associated industries and support the local products, as well as the agricultural sector and the dates production industry, which plays a vital role in economic diversification and contributes to the national economy.

This event will also provide the opportunity to producers to make the most of the production of dates, seek new marketing channels and support the local produce to enhance the food security system.

Liwa Date Festival and Auction also aims to create a market and a specialised platform through which farmers can promote and sell Emirati dates and exchange experiences with their peers from other countries on modern farming methods and palm tree care, in addition to contributing to the preservation of the nation’s cultural and agricultural heritage.

The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan will be this edition’s guest of honour, where ties and agricultural experiences will be exchanged and bilateral relations between the two brotherly countries will be bolstered in all fields.

This year, the festival will offer a rich programme of accompanying events to visitors, including a range of competitions dedicated to dates, honey, olive oil, cooking, drawing and photography.

An International Dates Village will also be featured along with a heritage village, a honey village, dates auction and various heritage activities that will be held in the festival’s arena, as well as live performances featuring Emirati crafts and training and educational programmes for visitors of different age groups.

The festival will also feature exhibition stands of government and private organisations, which will showcase and sell local and international dates and their products. These stands will also act as platforms where farmers from all over the world will exchange their experiences and views.

The Liwa Date Festival and Auction is part of a series of festivals and events organized by the Cultural Programmes and Heritage Festivals Committee, whose goals are inspired by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan in preserving and perpetuating the Emirati heritage, especially the one related to the palm tree.

Such festivals fulfill the Committee’s plans to strengthen Abu Dhabi’s status as a hub for heritage festivals and cultural programmes, and deliver UAE's civilisational and humanitarian message to the world.