The 2011 Emirates International Date Palm Festival (EIDPF) concluded recently with nearly 20,000 visitors attending the show, a 56 per cent increase as compared to last year.

Mohamed Jalal Al Reyaysa, chairman of the higher organising committee for the festival, said: “The response to all the features at this year’s date festival had been immense. The date tree planting has been the most attractive, going by the enthusiasm shown by visitors.”

Over 400 date palm trees were planted in dedication to HH Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, President of the UAE, a statement from the event organisers said.

The three winners who showcased outstanding vision and creativity in highlighting the date palm tree in the photography competition are John Bolus for ‘Passing on the Tradition’, Buddy Gadiano for ‘Legacy of the Good Harvest’ and Balqees Al Khaledi for ‘Shomokh El Lail’.

Fares Sumairi, chief marketing officer, Al Foah, said: “Emirates International Date Palm Festival provided a great opportunity to showcase our products especially our latest Zadina Bisr Juice. During the festival, it received great reviews from all.”

Ahmed Al Nafiri, owner and general manager, Nadheed Dates Factory, said: “the festival was a good place to showcase products, especially our latest dates’ ice cream. It is a healthy ice cream with a unique blend. About 50 per cent of the recipe consists of the date fruit and the remaining 50 per cent is a combination of milk and vanilla.”

The festival is committed to building communities through social media, engaging fans through Facebook/datepalmfestival and Twitter/datepalmfest networks offering year-round news and promotions, the statement said. – TradeArabia News Service