Under the supervision of Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation, and in cooperation with the Jordan Ministry of Agriculture and the Jordan Dates Association.

H.E. Khaled Al-Hanifat: Jordan's date palm festival, establishes a promising future for the agricultural economy

H.E. Ahmed AlBalushi:The festival strengthens the strong relationship between the United Arab Emirates and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, to celebrate the UAE’s Year of the Fiftieth

Under the patronage of His Majesty King Abdullah II Ibn Al Hussein, "May God protect him”, King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, H.E. Eng. Khalid Al-Hanaifat, delegate of the festival’s sponsor, Jordan Minister of Agriculture, in the presence of H.E. Ahmed Ali Mohammed Al Balushi, Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, and Dr. Abdelouahhab Zaid, Secretary General of Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation, attended the opening ceremony of the Third Jordan Date Palm Festival, organized by Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and agricultural innovation, Jordan Ministry of Agriculture and the Jordan Dates Association. The opening ceremony was also attended by....................... Members of the Diplomatic Corps based in Jordan, and a large number of researchers, farm owners, date producers and concerned companies based in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

His Excellency Khaled Al-Hanifat, Jordan Minister of Agriculture, stressed in his speech during the festival’s opening ceremony, that the strategic importance of this festival makes it a milestone in the field of date palm cultivation and production, and marketing of the Jordanian dates, especially the Mejhoul dates, where it represents an important element to the Jordanian economy. The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, fully recognizes the importance of growing dates with high economic returns, such as the Mejhoul and Barhi, where it seeks to encourage non-traditional agriculture, that meets the needs of local and international markets, in accordance with quality and food safety standards. This is to advance the agricultural sector and assist date growers, in adopting modern technologies, and accessing international markets, to ensure an increase in their income, and raising their standard of living, by increasing the added value, and developing agricultural products value chains. From this point of view, and believing in the importance of developing the date palm cultivation sector in general, and the Mejhoul variety in particular, whose numbers in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, approximately reached 750,000 trees. Where the Mejhoul variety is considered one of the most important varieties that distinguishes Jordan, and its production is about 14% of the global production. The Ministry of Agriculture has sought to cooperate with all partners to organize the Third Jordan Date Palm Festival, with the aim of displaying the finest date varieties, such as the Mejhoul, and strengthening the links between date growers, and international date buyers, to ensure the signing of international purchase contracts, Creating a spirit of positive competition between date growers and developing creative activities in the management and production to reach high levels of productivity and quality.

His Excellency the representative of the festival's sponsor, the Jordan Minister of Agriculture, added that the depth of the distinguished historical relations between the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the United Arab Emirates at various levels, especially in the field of agricultural investment, praising the noble position of the United Arab Emirates in supporting the Arab countries, and praised the efforts of the Award’s General Secretariat, and it success in organizing the First and Third Jordan Date Palm Festivals, in cooperation with the Jordan Ministry of Agriculture, and the Jordan Dates Association.

H.E. Ahmed Ali Mohammed Al Balushi, Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, noted that the development of the date palm sector in both countries, has a special priority on the agricultural and economic development map, as the date palm tree in the UAE and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, represent an increasing economic importance, to enhance food security through the development and exploitation of natural resources and sustainable development. This festival is an example of one of the successful cooperation’s between the two countries, under their wise leaderships.

H.E. Al Balushi, also added that the Third Jordan Date Palm Festival, came to emphasize the depth of the historical bilateral relation between the two countries, and the close cooperation between the people of both countries, led by H.H. Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, and his brother His Majesty King Abdullah II Ibn Al Hussein, King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, “May God protect them”.

This festival also came to emphasize the prestigious status of Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation, and its constructive role in the development of date palm products and industry, and the need to develop this sector regionally and internationally, thanks to the great sponsorship it receives from the Award’s patron, H.H. Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, “May God protect him”, and the guidance of H.H Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and continuous support of H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Presidential Affairs, and the follow up of H.E. Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, Chairman of the Award’s Board of Trustees. After the Award’s significant success achieved by organizing the Arab Dates Festivals in the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Republic of Sudan, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania.

H.E. Al Balushi, then concluded his speech by conveying the greetings of the United Arab Emirates, people and government, and sincere appreciation to the organizers of the Third Jordan Date Palm Festival, led by the Jordanian Ministry of Agriculture, Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation, Jordan Dates Association, and the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, which spared no effort in providing all the necessary facilities to ensure the festival’s success and achieve its set goals.

On the other hand, Dr. Abdelouahhab Zaid, Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation Secretary General, pointed out in a press statement, that this festival comes within the framework of strengthening the cooperation between the two countries, coinciding with the United Arab Emirates, celebrations of the Year of the Fiftieth, 2021, and also as an affirmation of the historical relation between the people of both countries, where the festival and for the third year, gained the honor to be held under the patronage of His Majesty King Abdullah II Ibn Al Hussein, "May God protect him”, King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, and the support of H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Presidential Affairs, praised the role of all partners in the success of the festival, under the leadership of the Jordan Ministry of Agriculture, Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation, and the Jordan Dates Association, To highlight the bright face of Jordan, and the pioneering role of the United Arab Emirates and its effective contribution to the making of human civilization and its prestigious position regionally and internationally.

The Award’s Secretary General, also stressed on the importance of the partnership between the Award, the concerned organizations in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, and the concerned international organizations, in the success of this festival, starting from Jordan Ministry of Agriculture, Jordan Dates Association, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), The International Center for Agriculture Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA),the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development (AOAD), the International Center for Bio-saline Agriculture (ICBA), the International Date Palm Network (DPGN), and the Date Palm Friends Society in the UAE (DPFS), with the aim of developing the date palm sector, and supporting the date palm cultivation in Jordan, as this festival emphasizes the leading role of the UAE in its interest in developing the date palm sector, and supporting all projects aiming to develop the date palm agriculture, production, and marketing regionally and internationally.

From his side, Eng. Anwar Haddad, President of the Jordan Dates Association, pointed out in his speech during the opening ceremony, that the joining of Jordan to be among the list of date producing countries, is the result of the great efforts of date growers and pioneers who invested in this field, which in return, the number of fruit producing date palm trees in Jordan exceeded 750,000 trees, at an annual growth rate of more than 8%, which produced so far about 255 1,000 tons of the world's Mejhoul dates production, Where Jordan's Mejhoul dates gained a significant branding in the global market, where Jordan exports about 50% of its production of this variety.

“Mansour Masts” operetta

“Mansour Masts” operetta, came to focus on the invaluable efforts of H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the first supporter of date palm cultivation and date production, at the national and regional levels, where it represents the ship of goodness and giving that sailed from the UAE to the Arab countries, and back to Abu Dhabi to reciprocate and thank His Highness for the achievements of the Arab dates festivals in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Republic of Sudan, the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, and the Kingdom of Morocco, as it is considered a fundamental pillar of the sustainable development and food security.

Dr. Abdelouahhab Zaid, Award’s Secretary General, highlighted the fact that this operetta, is a message of thanks and appreciation to H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Presidential Affairs, from the Arab capitals and cities that established strategic partnerships with the Award, through the words and melodies of the song, and voices filled with sincere feelings, all alternate to form the operetta. To express the loyalty to the agricultural development that the United Arab Emirates has achieved in general, and date palm cultivation and production in particular, at the regionally and internationally, in accordance with the directives and support of H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, following the wise words of the late Sheikh Zayed “May God bless his soul” when he said: “They sowed and we ate, and we sowed and they ate.”

This is Raghdan

A poem written by H.E. Haidar Mahmoud, poet, and Jordan's first minister of culture, where the poem reflects the history of the Hashemite rule at Raghdan Palace, the song tells the story of a homeland and what the Hashemites have done since the establishment of the Jordanian state. The song composed by Dr. Muhammad Wassef, and sang by Mr. Yazan Al-Sabbagh, and Ms. Natalie Samaan, was presented at the opening ceremony of the Third Jordan Date Palm Festival, on the occasion of the centenary of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

Honoring the Winners of the Third Edition of the Jordanian Dates Competition:

During the opening ceremony of the Third International Jordanian Dates Festival, held on November 21, 2021, at the Intercontinental Hotel in Amman, H.E. Eng. Khaled Hneifat, Representative of the Festival Patron, His Majesty King Abdullah II, Minister of Agriculture; H.E. Ahmed Ali Mohamed Al Balushi, Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to Jordan; Dr. Abdel Wahab Zayed, Secretary-General of the Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation; and Eng. Anwar Haddad, President of the Jordan Dates Association, honored the winners of the Third Edition of the Jordanian Dates Competition. The results were as follows:

1. **Best Applied Scientific Research on Palm Trees in Jordan**: Winner: Eng. Raed Lutfi, a researcher at the National Center for Agricultural Research, for his study on thinning "Medjool" dates.

2. **Best Production of Medjool Dates in Jordan**: Winner: Jordan Golden Palm Dates Company, represented by Mr. Abdelbaset Abdel Sabbour.

3. **Best Packaging of Jordanian Dates**: Winner: Palmajo Company, represented by Mr. Raed Ibrahim Mohamed Al-Basha.

4. **Best Food Product Made from Jordanian Dates**: Winner: Bint Biladi Company, represented by Eng. Lubna Ahmed Khalil Kaid.

5. **Best Distinguished Date Palm Farm in Jordan**: Winner: The Integrated Agricultural Projects Company Farm, represented by Mr. Ammar Al-Mansoura.

6. **Best Innovation in Palm and Date Fields in Jordan**: Winner: Palm Ear Company for early detection of red palm weevil, represented by Mr. Zaid Bassam Sanqrat.

7. **Best Date Packing House or Factory in Jordan**: Winner: Palmera Company for Date Farming and Trading, represented by Mr. Yazan Ahmed Mahmoud Abu Hantash.

**Honoring Influential Figures:**

The representative of the festival patron, H.E. the Minister of Agriculture, also honored influential figures in the date palm sector in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, including:

1. **Al-Haq Farm**: Recognized for its distinguished services to the date palm sector in Jordan, represented by Dr. Sufyan Al-Mansour, Director of Al-Haq Foundation.

2. **Eng. Mohammed Ayash**: Former President of the Jordan Dates Association, honored for his pioneering role in serving the date palm sector.

3. **Eng. Ali Obeidat**: One of the veteran date palm farmers in Jordan, recognized for his significant contributions to the date palm sector.

4. **Eng. Abdel Wali Falahat**: Honored for his outstanding expertise in serving the date palm sector in Jordan.

It is noteworthy that the Third Edition of the Jordanian Dates Competition in 2021 had 40 participants from various date palm farms in Jordan. The competition was characterized by the participation of high-quality Jordanian dates, with a focus on the Medjool variety and the best food products. The submitted research became more specialized in Medjool dates, making the competition significant and enhancing the festival's reputation.

The opening ceremony of the Third International Jordanian Dates Festival concluded with the signing of two Memoranda of Understanding between the Jordan Dates Association, represented by Eng. Anwar Haddad, and Bint Biladi Company for Date Production, represented by Eng. Lubna Kaid, as well as Palmear Company for early detection of the red palm weevil, represented by Eng. Zaid Sanqrat.

Following the ceremony, H.E. Minister Khaled Hneifat and his distinguished guests inaugurated the accompanying Jordanian Dates Exhibition, visiting all 58 participating booths representing seven countries from around the world.