Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) has announced that the 8th edition of Al Dhaid Date Festival 2024 will take place from July 25 to 28 at Expo Al Dhaid. The festival will bring together a significant number of palm farmers from around the UAE.

During a press conference held at Expo Al Dhaid, the Chamber also revealed that the total value of the prize pool allocated for the 8th edition’s competitions exceeds 800,000 AED and will be given to 130 winners.           

The conference was attended by HE Mohammed Ahmed Amin Al Awadi, Director-General of SCCI; Saeed bin Fadel Al Ketbi, Director of Al Wusta TV Channel; Mohammed Musabeh Al Tunaiji, General Coordinator of Al Dhaid Date Festival, and Rashid Mohair Al Ketbi, Chairman of the Festival’s Screening and Evaluation Committee.

Also present were Mohammed Al Mansouri, Director of Expo Khor Fakkan, and Jamal Saeed Bouzanjal, Director of the Corporate Communication Department at SCCI, along with several officials and representatives of the local media.

During the gathering, the Organising Committee of the "Al Dhaid Dates Festival" unveiled that the 8th edition of the festival will feature the launch of a new date competition exclusively for children, making its debut in the UAE.

The contest, titled “Ratb Al Kharaif Beauty”, will be added to the festival's main competitions lined up each year for the participating farmers, including “Al Ratab Beauty”, “Best Lemons”, “Fig Contest”, and the Most Beautiful Home-grown Dates (only for women). The awards have a value that varies from 1,000 to 20,000 AED, to be given to each winner.

During the press conference, the committee also revealed the agenda for economic, commercial, cultural, and heritage activities and events that will be part of the 8th edition of the festival.

HE Mohammed Ahmed Amin Al Awadi affirmed that Al Dhaid Date Festival has established itself as one of the most important economic, heritage, and social events in the UAE and the region. It serves as a leading platform to support and develop the palm cultivation sector and preserve the social and cultural heritage value of the palm tree.

The festival celebrates the date season and avails great opportunities for experience and knowledge exchange on the vast palm resources among farmers, investors and the younger generations, Al Awadi noted.

He emphasised that Al Dhaid Date Festival continues to achieve successes year after year. In its 2023 edition, the festival saw the participation of hundreds of palm farmers across the UAE, recording a 25% increase in visitor turnout compared to the 2022 edition.

"At the Sharjah Chamber, we are committed to utilizing all resources to maintain these achievements and enhance the festival's significance as a key seasonal platform that encourages palm owners to prioritize this local product, fostering the growth of the palm cultivation sector and ensuring its sustainability," Al Awadi added.

For his part, Saeed bin Fadel Al Ketbi said that Al Wusta Channel is a strategic partner of the Al Dhaid Date Festival, stressing that the Channel spares no effort in providing all forms of media support for the festival’s new edition.

He pointed out that the festival stands as a significant tourism and promotional event for Al Dhaid City as it plays a vital role in offering support to local farmers and attracting visitors and tourists to the city.

Meanwhile, Mohammed Musabeh Al Tunaiji affirmed that the organising committee has intensified efforts to expand the scope of cultural, heritage, and educational activities, enhancing their inclusivity across diverse societal segments, including women and children.

He highlighted that this year's edition notably introduces a new competition dedicated to children from Sharjah's Central Region. Held under the theme “Ratb Al Kharaif Beauty”, the contest aims to deepen the current generation's engagement with the UAE’s cultural heritage, encouraging them to promote the preservation and cultivation of date palm trees.

For his part, Rashid Mohair Al Ketbi elucidated that the 8th edition of Al Dhaid Date Festival features five main competitions. They are “Al Ratab Beauty”, “Best Lemons”, “Fig Contest”, “the Most Beautiful Home-grown Dates” (only for women), and “Ratb Al Kharaif Beauty” (only for children).

Participation in these competitions requires compliance with specific terms and conditions, including using locally produced dates for the 2024 season that are only grown in the participants' own farms. Applicants must provide specific documents proving ownership of agricultural land when they register and visit the selected farms as outlined in the application form.

Contestants cannot take part in more than two categories of dates’ Individual Varieties in the festival’s competitions, but they are entitled to participate in the “General Elite Dates” and “Rare Dates” categories.

The festival will commence on July 25th with the “Khneizi Dates Beauty Contest” and the “Women's Makhrafa Dates Beauty Contest”, to be followed by the “Al-Khalas Dates Beauty Contest” and the “Red Fig” Competition the next day. On July 27th, the festival will host the “Shishi Dates” and “Local Lemon” Beauty Contests, along with the “Ratb Al Kharaif Beauty” Contest for children, while the last day will feature the “General Elite Dates Beauty Contest” and “Rare Dates” competitions.

The festival’s organising committee has set specific standards and criteria for the dates’ competitions. Participants must present dates that are locally produced in the 2024 season, at an optimal ripeness stage, with moisture content not exceeding 50 percent.

The dates should be free from insect infestations, dead insects, their eggs, larvae, excrement, or any apparent defects, abnormal smell or taste, or be tainted by traces of mineral or sand such as scars.

The dates size should be appropriate and should not contain unripe fruits. For individual dates varieties’ category, the dates should not weigh less than 4kg without the basket. The dates should also be presented in high-quality baskets without any hangers.