Under the generous patronage of H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister, and Chairman of the Presidential Court, H.E. Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation, witnessed on Monday, 26^th of February, 2024, the Award’s Winners Honoring ceremony, in its Sixteenth session, in the presence of H.E. Dr. Amna bint Abdullah Al Dahak, UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment, and H.E. Dr. AbdulHakim ElWAER, Assistant Director General and Regional Representative, Regional office for the Near East and North Africa, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. With the presence of more than 15 Ministers and Undersecretaries of Agriculture, from date-producing countries, and 06 directors and heads of regional and international organizations. In addition to the presence of a number of members of the country’s diplomatic corps, reaching 62 ambassadors from the diplomatic corps, including 45 ambassadors from the foreign corps, and 22 from the Arab corps, members of the Award’s Board of Trustees, Award’s winners and honorees, and a large number of specialists, and those interested in the field of date palm cultivation, production and agricultural innovation.

We are proud of the Award’s achievements

H.E. Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, Chairman of the Award’s Board of Trustees, did deliver a speech during the Award’s Winners Honoring ceremony, in which His Excellency extended his great appreciation to the wise leader, H.H. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates “May God protect him” and thanked His Highness for his strong support to the Award, and His Highness’ pioneering and continuous initiatives, in order for the UAE to always be at the forefront in the field of date palm cultivation, while working to strengthen the entire agricultural sector, by adopring all modern methods and means of technology, in date production, marketing and distribution. In addition to the fruitful efforts of His Highness, in order to overcome all difficulties faced, and confront all natural and human challenges, in this field. H.E. Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan also expressed his great pride in following the wise leadership of His Highness the President of the UAE, affirming the promise to His Highness, that we will always work to keep up to His Highness’ expectations, in love of the UAE, and strive, under his wise leadership, towards achieving the UAE’s hopes and ambitions.

During his speech, H.E. Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, also extended his sincere thanks, great appreciation and respect to H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister, and Chairman of the Presidential Court, for his great and empowering support to Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation, for it to always be an example and a role model of efficiency, quality, and distinguished position, across the world.

Honoring of the Influential Figures

H.E. Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, honored Their Excellencies Ambassadors of the United Arab Emirates in the countries that host the International Date Palm Festivals, organized by the Award’s General Secretariat, in cooperation with the related ministries, in date producing countries, and who are H.E. Sheikh Khalifa bin Mohammed bin Khalid Al Nahyan, Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, H.E. Eng. Khaled Musa Shehadeh Al Hnaifat, Minister of Agriculture of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, H.E. Al-Asri Saeed Ahmed Al-Dhaheri, Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to the Kingdom of Morocco, H.E. Maryam Khalifa Juma AlKaabi, Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to the Arab Republic of Egypt, H.E. Hamad Mohammad Hamid Al Junaibi, Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to the Republic of Sudan, H.E. Hamad Ghanem Hamad Al Muhairi, Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, H.E. Ahmed Hatem Barghash Al Menhali, Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to the United Mexican States,  and the late Dr. Abdul Jabbar Al-Bakr, from the Republic of Iraq.

Honoring the Winners of Khalifa International Award

H.E. Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, then honored the winners of Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation, in its Sixteenth session, 2024, as follows: the “Distinguished Innovative Studies and Modern Technology” category, equally won by Dr. Khalid bin Al-Hadi Al-Masmoudi, from the United Arab Emirates University, and Dr. Ezz El-Din Jadallah Hussein Ahmed, from the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, of the Arab Republic of Egypt, and for the “Pioneering Development and Productive Projects” category, equally won by Dr. Lim Erin,from the Higher Colleges of Technology , Abu Dhabi, and the Africa Organics Company, from the Kingdom of Morocco, as for the “Pioneering and Sophisticated Innovations Serving the Agricultural Sector” category, equally won by Dr. Yaroub Qahtan Abdul Rahman Al Douri, from the University of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, and Valorizen Company, Research and Innovation Center, from the Arab Republic of Egypt, while for the “Influential Figure in the Field of Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation” category, equally won by Dr. Ramzi Abdel Rahim Desouki Abu Ayana,  from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,  and Dr. Ibrahim Al Jubouri, from the Republic of Iraq.

The Agricultural Ministers’ Conference of the Date Producing and Processing Countries

H.E. Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, then announced during the Ceremony, the launching of the activities of the Agricultural Ministers’ Conference of the Date Producing and Processing Countries, which is organized by the Award’s General Secretariat, in cooperation with the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Where the conference’s activities are held on the 26^th – 27^th of February through the “Integrated Management of Red Palm Weevil – Follow-up Evaluation Meeting for Project Outputs” and the “International Authority for Oases Sustainable Development”, with the participation of thirteen Ministers of Agriculture, and six heads of regional and international organizations, along with a large number of technical experts, scientists, and specialists,  in the field of combating the Red Palm Weevil, and preserving the oases, while presenting 20 scientific papers within the framework of following up and evaluating the results of the regional project to eradicate Red Palm Weevil, and establishing the “International Authority for Oases Sustainable Development”.

International praise of the UAE’s efforts

From his side, H.E. Dr. Qu Dongyu, Director General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), pointed out in his speech delivered on his behalf by H.E. Dr. AbdulHakim ElWAER, Assistant Director General and Regional Representative, Regional office for the Near East and North Africa, FAO, Agricultural and social development has led to increased cultivation of palm trees and a rapid rise in international date trade. and Global date production has increased from about 2 million tons in the mid-1960s to approximately 9.7 million tons in 2021, produced in around 40 countries. and Challenges facing the palm and date industry include low productivity and poor product quality. Challenges exist in handling, processing, post-harvest stages, marketing, and trade of date products. Also, Global date production reached 74 million tons (1.16 million tons for Arab countries) with a value of around 2.3 billion US dollars.

Award achievements

The Award’s Winner Honoring ceremony, also included the screening of a video presenting the Award’s achievements, over seventeen years, in the date palm sector (2007 - 2024), where the Award worked to develop the date palm cultivation and production sector at the national, regional and international levels, thanks to the directives and continuous support of H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister, and Chairman of the Presidential Court, and the close follow up of H.E. Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, Chairman of the Award’s Board of Trustees, by launching a group of development initiatives and projects that enhances food security.

Signing of 06 Memoranda of Understanding

H.E. Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, Chairman of the Award’s Board of Trustees, also witnessed the signing of six Memoranda of Understanding, with a number of agricultural ministers and directors of international organizations, from several countries, with the aim of strengthening cooperation between the Award’s General Secretariat and regional and international organizations, to ensure the growth and development of the date palm cultivation, production and agricultural innovation sectors, at the national, regional, and international levels, as follows: Capital Events Company in the United Arab Emirates, regarding organizing the Tenth Abu Dhabi International Dates Exhibition, 2024, the Jordanian Ministry of Agriculture, regarding organizing the Sixth Jordan International Date Palm Festival, 2024, the Ministry of Agriculture of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, regarding organizing the Third Mauritania International Date Palm Festival, 2024, the Federal Ministry of National Food Security and Research of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, regarding the organization of the First Pakistan International Date Palm Festival, 2024, the Ministry of Agriculture of Eritrea, regarding the organization of the First Eritrea International Date Palm Conference in Eritrea, 2024 , and Crop Trust, regarding the Utilization of Date Palm genetic resources.