Make a date for the Liwa Festival

Suhail Mohammed, left, and Hisham Ali look over some of the prize-winning dates at the Liwa Date Festival last year. Sammy Dallal / The National

ABU DHABI // The dates have been announced for next month's Liwa Date Festival.

The festival will run from July 12 to July 18 daily after iftar, the breaking of the fast, from 8pm until 1am. More than 200 prizes are on offer, with a total value of Dh6 million.

According to Obaid Khalfan Al Mazrouei, the director of the festival, it is considered the most important event in the Liwa area and a great opportunity for farmers.

“The story of the Liwa Date Festival is one of a lifetime of surprises as each year brings in a new revelation, especially through the introduction of new categories,” said Mr Al Mazrouei.

Visitors “will find excitement and pleasure, and discover heritage and authenticity”, he added.

The event informs visitors about the cultivation and preservation of date-palm trees, as well as different varieties of half-ripe dates, or al ratab, that will be featured in the Al Ratab Mazayna competition.

Al Ratab Mazayna is the main attraction at the festival and includes seven date varieties: Al Kanizi, Al Khallas, Al Dabbas, Abu Maan, Al Fardh, Al Nukhba and Akbar A’adj.

Two other competitions – the best mango and best lemon contests – will be held for the fourth time this year as part of the date festival.

The launch of the Model Farm Award is expected for the first time at this year’s event, with up to Dh750,000 in prizes.

Also new this year is the Fruits of the House competition for grapes, figs, pineapples, pomegranates, grapefruits and other products. The fruits must be locally produced, and prizes offered total Dh100,000.

The number of prizes this year is 220, compared with 205 last year, when the total prize-fund value was Dh5 million.

The festival, now in its tenth year, is organised by the Abu Dhabi Cultural Programmes and Heritage Festivals Committee, with the support of public and private institutions.

It is held under the patronage of Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs.