The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is all set to host the 19th edition of the Liwa Date Festival. The festival, taking place in Liwa City, Al Dhafra Region of Abu Dhabi, will be held from 17 to 30 July.
It is organized by the Cultural Programs and Heritage Festivals Committee – Abu Dhabi and Emirates Heritage Club, under the support of Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of the Presidential Court.
How to Apply
- To participate in the festival, applicants need to register and submit their entries through the festival’s mobile app.Â
- The app provides all the necessary information, including terms and conditions, updates, deadlines, and dates set by the organizing committee.
- Upon registration, participants must provide documents proving ownership of the farmland.
- It is important to comply with the deadlines and regulations, as entries will only be accepted on the first day of the festival, between 8 AM and 3 PM.
Eligibility Criteria for Contestants
- The festival is open to all individuals who wish to showcase their agricultural achievements and contribute to the preservation of Emirati heritage.
- Each person can compete in up to two categories.
- Those who get disqualified in one category can still participate in others, including the ‘Al Dhafra’ and ‘Liwa’ elite dates rounds.
- Participants must submit crops harvested from their own farms or home gardens.
- The jury will inspect the farms or houses of the winners.
Contests and Prizes
The Liwa Date Festival offers a wide range of competitions, with 293 prizes worth AED 8.3 million up for grabs.
The festival, coinciding with the Year of Sustainability, features 23 main competitions. These include contests for the best dates, fruits, model farms, local fruit baskets, heritage models, and various cultural and heritage events.
The best dates contest covers a range of varieties, such as Khalas, Fardh, Khenaizi, Buma’an, Shishi, the largest date clusters, and Khalas Al-Ain. Fruit competitions also cover categories like mangos, lemons, and figs.
Winner Criteria and Evaluation Process
- Entries will be weighed and ranked based on their weight, with the heaviest date cluster securing the top position.
- In addition to the weight factor, each individual’s entry will be judged according to specific criteria outlined by the organizers.
- The jury will inspect and evaluate the farms or houses of the winners to ensure compliance with the competition guidelines.
