Under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan,

H.E.  Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, honors H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Person of the Year, 2023.

And winners of Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation, in its Fifteenth session, 2023.

Announces the opening of the First International Date Palm Production and Trade Conference, and the First Mejhoul International Network members’ meeting,

And witnesses the signing of 04 memorandums of understanding.

FAO Director-General praises the Award’s achievements regionally and internationally.

Under the patronage of H.H.  Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of 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 Tuesday, 14^th of March, 2023, the Award’s Winners Honoring Ceremony, in its Fifteenth session, in the presence of H.E. Sheikh Sultan Bin Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, H.E. Mohammed Ahmed Al Bawardi Al Falasi, Cabinet Member and Minister of State for Defence Affairs, United Arab Emirates, H.E. Mariam bint Mohammed Saeed Hareb Al Muhairi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, H.E. Major General Khaled Shuaib, Governor of Matrouh in the Arab Republic of Egypt, H.E. Dr. José Graziano da Silva,  Former Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Director General, Zero Hunger Institute, and H.E. Dr. AbdulHakim ElWAER,  Assistant Director General, FAO Regional Representative for the Near East and North Africa. As well as number of members of country’s diplomatic corps, members of the Award’s Board of Trustees, winners and honorees of the award, and a large number of specialists and those interested in the field of date palm cultivation, 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, during his speech at the Award’s Winners Honoring Ceremony, expressed his great appreciation to H.H. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, “May God protect him”, with his wise vision, always stressed on the importance of the UAE being a role model and example of contribution to all the achievements in the field of scientific development, and to enhance cooperation to achieve the development of the date palm cultivation sector, which represents following  the lead of the values and principles set by the founder of the UAE, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, “May God bless his soul”.

H.E. Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, also extended his thanks, and great appreciation to H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Presidential Court, on his strong and unlimited support to this Award. Thanks to his support, the Award has gained prestigious status and contributed to achieving the vision of the wise leadership, to develop the date palm cultivation sector in the UAE, the region, and the world. Where His Highness always assures us that Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation is an important platform that contributes to achieving collaborations between different parties, to achieve prosperity to individuals and the society.

Person of the Year

H.E. Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, honored H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler’s Representative in Al Dhafra Region, as Person of the Year, 2023, in recognition and gratitude for His Highness’ great role and interest in supporting the agricultural development in the UAE, and the date palm cultivation. His Excellency then honored a number of national and international personalities who contributed to the service and development of the date palm cultivation sector, as follows:  H.E. Mohammed Ahmed Al Bawardi Al Falasi, Cabinet Member and Minister of State for Defence Affairs, United Arab Emirates, H.E. Dr. José Graziano da Silva, Former Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Director General, Zero Hunger Institute, H.E. Saeed Sultan Salmeen Bin Harmal Aldhaheri, Special Affairs Advisor at the Court of His Highness the Ruler’s Representative in Al Ain Region, His Excellency the Minister Major General Khaled Shuaib, Governor of Matrouh, Arab Republic of Egypt, and H.E. Saoud Bin Abdul Karim AL Fida, Director General, Saleh Al Rajhi Endowment, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Honoring Khalifa International Award winners

H.E. Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, honored the winners of Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation, in its Fifteenth session 2023, as follows: for the Pioneering Development and Productive Projects category awarded to: Al Ain City Municipality, United Arab Emirates,  the Distinguished Innovative Studies and Modern Technology category (Equally awarded to): King Abdullah University of Science and Technology & Date Palm Research Center, Al Ahsa/ KSA, and Dr. Synan Abuqamar, United Arab Emirates University, United Arab Emirates, in cooperation with Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority, Khalifa Center for Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology, & Murdoch University in Australia, the Influential Figure in the Field of Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation category (Equally awarded to): Prof. Samir H. Al-Shakir, Republic of Iraq and Prof. Ricardo Salomón Torres, United Mexican States, and the Distinguished Producers, Manufacturers and Marketing Specialists, awarded to Dr. Lai Kok Song, Higher Colleges of Technology, United Arab Emirates.

Honoring winners of the local award

H.E. Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, then honored the winners of the Distinguished and Innovative Farmers Award in the UAE, in its Fifth session 2023, organized by the Award’s General Secretariat, in cooperation with Al Foah Company, as follows: The Small Scale Farm Category, First Place Winner: Khalifa Suhail Ali Rbaie Almazrouei , Second Place Winner: Moaza Mohammed Bakhit Alhumairi , Average Scale Farm Category, First Place Winner: Khamis Mohamed Khamis Fereeh Alqubaisi, Second Place Winner: Rashed Hamad Musabbeh Fares Alshamsi, the Above Average Scale Farm Category, First Place Winner: Ali Saeed Hmouda Khamis Alaryani, Second Place Winner: Saif Rashed Saeed Hashel Alzahmi , and the Large Scale Farm Category, First Place Winner: Khalifa Buti Mohammed Khalifa Alshamsi.

1^st International Date Palm Production and Trade Conference

H.E. Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, then announced the holding of the First International Date Palm Production and Trade Conference, organized by the Award’s General Secretariat, in cooperation with the Horticultural Export Improvement Association, from the Arab Republic of Egypt, which started its activities on Tuesday, 14th March, 2023 and will continue until 15th of March, 2023, with the participation of a group of experts, scientists, and specialists in the field of date manufacturing, marketing, and trade across the world, where the conference will present 18 scientific papers that address the opportunities and challenges associated with the production and international trade of dates, in addition to maximizing the added value and increasing the competitiveness of Arab dates.

First Mejhoul International Network members’ meeting

H.E. Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, then announced the holding of the First Mejhoul International Network members’ meeting, which started on Tuesday 14th of March, and will continue until the 15th of March, 2023, recognizing the challenges facing the cultivation and production of the Mejhoul dates variety, and its economic and social importance in many countries across the world, due to the strategic importance of this variety in the international trade of dates, and its repercussions on the national economies of Mejhoul producing countries.

International praise of the UAE’s efforts

H.E. Dr. AbdulHakim ElWAER, Assistant Director-General, FAO Regional Representative for the Near East and North Africa, on behalf of Dr. Qu Dongyu, Director-General, FAO, praised during his speech the efforts put by the UAE and Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation, in supporting and developing the date palm cultivation, and agricultural innovation sectors, regionally and internationally. His Excellency extended his appreciation and pride in the pioneering role of the UAE’s leadership, represented in the interest of H.H. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, “May God protect him”,  and the generous patronage of H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Presidential Court, for this ceremony.

Award’s Achievements

The honoring ceremony also included the screening of a video of the Award’s achievements throughout fifteen years of positive impact in serving the date palm cultivation sector, as the Award spared no effort to develop the date palm cultivation sector at the national, regional and international levels, by launching a set of development initiatives and projects that will enhance food security, thanks to the guidance and support of H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Presidential Court, and the continuous follow-up of H.E. Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, Chairman of the Award’s Board of Trustees.

Signing 04 Memorandums of Understanding

H.E. Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, Chairman of the Award’s Board of Trustees, witnessed the signing of four memorandums of understanding, with a number of ministers of agriculture and directors of international organizations in several countries with the aim of enhancing cooperation between the Award’s General Secretariat and regional and international organizations, to form contributions to the development of the date palm cultivation, and agricultural innovation sectors at the national, regional, and international levels, as follows:

Memorandum of Understanding between the Award and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, on the organization of the Second International Mauritanian Dates Festival, 2023, Memorandum of Understanding between the Award and the International Cooperation Division of Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences (CATAS), the People’s Republic of China, and the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, UAE. on the Sustainable Development of Date Palm Cultivation, Memorandum of Understanding between the Award and the Zero Hunger Institute, on Enhancing Food Security and Sustainable Development, and a Memorandum of Understanding between the Award and the International Council for Dates in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Launching of two new books

H.E. Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, then witnessed the launching of the “Mejhoul Variety – The Jewel of Dates-” book in Spanish, in the presence of His Excellency Mr. Luis Alfonso Garcia de Alba, Ambassador of Mexico to the United Arab Emirates, and the launching of “Egypt’s Climatic Map o fthe most important date palm cultivars” book in English  and Arabic languages, in the presence of H.E. Mr. Abdel Hamid El Demerdash, Chairman of the Agricultural Export Council, Arab Republic of Egypt, and His Excellency Mr. Sherif Issa, Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt to the United Arab Emirates.