Ninety per cent of participants from last year’s Emirates International Date Palm Festival, will return for the event set to be held later this year in Abu Dhabi, the higher organising committee for the festival said.

The leading dates’ industry exhibition will provide date lovers and heritage enthusiasts an opportunity to savour the best dates in the world.

The event will take place from November 26 to December 1 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Presidential Affairs and Chairman of Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority (ADFCA).  

It will be organised by Turret Media in strategic partnership with the Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority.

Mohamed Jalal Al Reyaysa, the chairman of the higher organising committee, said: “The festival, which will be accompanied by a wide variety of cultural, culinary and recreational activities, will provide date lovers and heritage enthusiasts an opportunity to savor the best dates from the region and abroad.”

“Visitors will get to learn about and relish the various facets of dates and date palm through special events and activities focusing on arts, cuisines, date palm cultivation and climbing."

“It will include national pavilions from Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, China, and Libya. More than 90 per cent of participants from last year will return to the festival this year," he added.   

Al Reyaysa said that the event would include several new activities, besides those featured previously, to highlight the UAE heritage and culture as well as the significance of palm trees and dates.

"Palm tree cultivation, dates kitchen, Al Ain Diary Farm Children’s area, contests in palm tree climbing and palm trees and dates photography and dates tasting area are among the attractions,” he said.

“The festival seeks to educate visitors on the UAE's rich history with palm trees and dates, as well as provide a platform for businesses to communicate and expand their network," he added.

The Emirates International Date Palm Festival will be held in conjunction with Sial Middle East 2012, the regional edition of one of the world's largest food exhibitions, providing UAE date companies with the platform to showcase their products to a much broader spectrum of visitors, traders, and industry groups.

With over 200 exhibitors from more than 17 countries, the festival welcomed more than 20,000 visitors last year. More than 90 per cent of the participants and exhibitors from last year return to the 2012 edition in November. – TradeArabia News Service