1. H.E. Dr. Qu Dongyu, Director General of the FAO, Praises the UAE’s efforts in helping to develop the date palm sector
2. H.E. Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan: the Award is of national affiliation, Arab performance, international framework, and it is an exceptional opportunity to stimulate agricultural innovation

Under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Presidential Affairs, and with the attendance of H.E. Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, Chairman of the Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation Board of Trustees, the Award’s Winners Honoring virtual ceremony, was held on Tuesday the 16^th of March, 2021. The ceremony was attended by H.E. Dr. Qu Dongyu, Director General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), H.E. Mariam Bint Mohammed Saeed Hareb Al Muhairi, Minister of State for Food and Water Security, UAE, all members of the Award’s Board of Trustees, and a large number of specialists and interested individuals in the field of date palm cultivation and agricultural innovation.

We are proud of the Award's accomplishments:

H.E. Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, Chairman of the Award’s Board of Trustees, presented H.E. speech during the virtual honoring ceremony, where H.E. expressed the great appreciation extended to the Award’s founder and patron, H.H. Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, "May God Protect Him”, as H.H. always affirmed the importance of the UAE being a role model in contributing to all the achievements of the scientific development, and cooperating to achieve the wise vision, which represents a natural extension of the values ​​and principles established by the great founder of the UAE, the Late Father Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, “May God Bless His Soul”.

I am also honored, on this occasion, to extend my sincere thanks, respect, and appreciation to H.H. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, on H.H. ongoing support to the Award, and we are very proud of His Highness wise vision for the future of the UAE and the world, and His Highness keenness for the UAE to always be at the forefront among the countries, and enhancing cooperation and team work among them. His Highness always assures us that the Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation is an important tool that contributes to achieving convergence, and cooperation between people, in order to achieve peace and prosperity for individuals, societies, and for the whole world.

I also extend my heartfelt thanks to H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Presidential Affairs, for the invaluable generosity and keenness in providing full support to the Award, and for His Highness guidance to shape the Award’s success in always being a tool for fruitful interaction between specialists and those interested in agricultural innovation, from all over the world. I would also like to thank His Highness for his strong support to the Award's initiatives, through organizing Arab Date Palm festivals in several countries such as the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Republic of Sudan, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, and others, where the success was not limited to organizing the festivals only, but also to rehabilitating dates factories, establishing date storage refrigerators, and creating strategies to develop the dates industry. We are today very proud, as the Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation had the honor and distinguished role in implementing the leadership’s vision in accordance with international best practices, as this represents the great impact in supporting the sustainable development, also added H.E Sheikh Nahayan during the opening speech.

Our celebration today, in honoring the Award winners in its Thirteenth session, 2021, winners, is a strong confirmation of our full commitment in the Khalifa Award, to move forward in adopting strategies and action plans aimed at achieving comprehensive agricultural development and care dedicated to the Date Palm tree. Out of full awareness of the importance of this followed goal, in achieving food security, affirming sustainable development in the world, and promoting tolerance, coexistence, love and peace, among people, and as I always say the Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation is a national Award, an Arab performance, with a global framework, which seeks, in all its activities to achieve good, growth and stability to all humanity.

International tribute to the UAE’s efforts:

From his side, H.E. Dr. Qu Dongyu, Director General of the FAO, presented H.E. speech during the virtual Award winners honoring ceremony, praised the efforts of the United Arab Emirates in supporting and developing the date palm cultivation, date production and agricultural innovation sectors internationally. As the UAE has the infrastructure, advanced institutions, international experience and strong will that contributed to the advancement of the date palm sector through date festivals held regionally.

“Mansour Masts” operetta:

H.E. Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, and the honorable guests then attended the virtual “Mansour Masts” operetta, where the 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.

Award honoring to the respected Excellencies:

Where H.E. Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, honored a number of national and international personalities, who have contributed to the service and development of the agricultural, date palm cultivation and production sectors worldwide, and who are:

1. H.E. Mariam Bint Mohammed Saeed Hareb Al Muhairi, Minister of State for Food and Water Security, United Arab Emirates.
2. H.E. Abdullah Ameen Al Shorafa, Private Advisor of H.H. Ruler of Ajman, United Arab Emirates.
3. H.E. Dr. Bandar Mohammed Hajjar, President of the Islamic Development Bank, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
4. H.E. Dr. Mustafa Al Asram, Former Director General, National Institute for Agricultural Research, Republic of Tunisia.
5. Mr. Pieter F. de Wet, Republic of Namibia
6. Dr. Samir Al Shaker, International expert in date palm cultivation and date production, Republic of Iraq.

Honoring of the international Award winners:

H.E. Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, then honored the Award winners of the 13^th and 12^th sessions, as follows: The Distinguished Innovative Studies and Modern Technology Category, was awarded to Dr. Sarah Sallon / State of Israel, for the year 2021, and the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology/ Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, for the year 2020, The Pioneering Development & Productive Projects category, was awarded equally to Boudjebel S.A. VACPA for Continuous Improvement of Date Palm Sector / Republic of Tunisia, and International center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), for the year 2021, and awarded to the American University of Beirut/ Lebanese Republic, for the year 2020, The Pioneering and Advanced Innovations to Serve the Agricultural Sector category, was awarded equally to Teeba Engineering Industries Company / United Arab Emirates, and Dr. Aqeel Hadi Abdulwahid, Agriculture College, Basra University, Republic of Iraq, for the year 2021, and awarded to AL Nakhli Company/ United Arab Emirates, for the year 2020, Distinguished Individuals in the Field of Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation category, was awarded equally to Prof. Abdellah Mohammed Haj Mohammed / Kingdom of Spain, and Dr. Walid Abdul Ghani Kaakeh / Syrian Arab Republic, for the year 2021, and awarded equally to Professor Dr. Kazuo Shinozaki, Empire of Japan, and Dr. Hasnaâ Harrak, Kingdom of Morocco, for the year 2020.

Honoring the winners of the Distinguished and Innovative Farmer Award:

H.E. Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, then honored the winners of the Distinguished and Innovative Farmer Award, in its 3rd session, 2020, which has been launched in cooperation with Al Foah Company, as follows: Large Scale Farm Category, First Place was awarded to Abdullah Ali Rashed Abdullah AlHamoudi, and the Second Place to Mohamed Ahmed Saif Al Mazrouei, Above Average Scale Farm Category, First Place was awarded to Sultan Ahmed Ghanem Al Suwaidi, and the Second Place to Saeed Khalifa Saif Mohamed Al Mazrouei and his partners, Average Scale Farm Category, First Place was awarded to Sheikha Ohoud Faisal Abdullah Ahmed Al Mualla, and the Second Place to Ahmed Khalifa Saif Mohammed Al Mazrouei and his partners, Small Scale Farm Category, the Second Place was awarded to Hamama Hussein Khalifa Qariyoush Al Qubaisi.

Signing 4 Memorandum of Understanding:

In the presence of H.E. Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, Chairman of the Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation Board of Trustees, and H.E. Dr. Qu Dongyu, Director General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 4 Memorandum of Understanding were signed, and which aims to contribute to supporting and developing the date palm cultivation and date production sectors regionally and internationally.

The Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation General Secretariat, represented by the Award Secretary General, Dr. Abdelouahhab Zaid, signed a memorandum of understanding with Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), to organize the Abu Dhabi Date Palm Exhibition, 2021, a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Agriculture - Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, to organize the Third Jordan International Date Palm Festival, 2021, a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources - Republic of Sudan, to organize the Fourth Sudan International Date Palm Festival, 2021, a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Rural Development - Islamic Republic of Mauritania, to organize the First Mauritania International Date Palm Festival, 2021.

Signing four memorandum of understanding during the virtual Award’s Winners Honoring Ceremony, 2021, in its 13th session, came to confirm the Award’s high credibility that has been achieved regionally and internationally, added Dr. Abdelouahhab Zaid, Award’s General Secretariat.