Announcing the Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation Winners’ names, in its Fifteenth session

Announcing the winners of the Distinguished and Innovative Farmer Award in the UAE, in its Fifth session

H.E. Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan: The Award has become a platform for international partnerships, in the field of Date Palm Development Sector.

H.E. Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, Chairman of Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation Board of Trustees, extended his sincere appreciation to the patronage, guidance and  continuous support of H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Presidential Court, which contributed to strengthening the leading position of the United Arab Emirates in the development of the date palm cultivation sector nationally, regionally, and internationally, through cooperation with date producing countries, and concerned regional and international organizations. His Excellency also expressed his confidence in the efforts put by the Award’s General Secretariat, which played an important role in building international partnerships for the development of this sector.

Dr. Abdelouahhab Zaid, Secretary General of Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation, during his speech at the press conference held on Monday, 20^th of February, 2023, at Emirates Palace hotel, Abu Dhabi, in the presence of Dr. Helal Humaid Saed Al Kaabi, Member of the Award’s Board of Trustees, Secretary General of the Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council, and Mr. Mohammed Ghanem Al Mansouri, representative of Al Foah company, announced the names of the Khalifa International Award winners, in its Fifteenth session, as well as the winners of the Distinguished and innovative farmer Award in the UAE, in its Fifth session.

International Award Winners

The Award’s Secretary General  then announced, based on the Scientific Committee’s report, the winners names of the Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation, in its Fifteenth session, 2023, which were selected in accordance with the international standards and mechanisms followed in granting the award,  and after the valuable  approval of H.E. Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, Chairman of the Award’s Board of Trustees, and the results were as follows:

Pioneering Development and Productive Projects category awarded to:

1. The Date Palm in Al Ain Oasis

• By: Al Ain City Municipality / UAE

Distinguished Innovative Studies and Modern Technology category (Equally awarded to):

1. Early detection of red palm weevil using distributed optical sensor

• By: King Abdullah University of Science and Technology & Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, Date Palm Research Center, Al Ahsa / KSA

And

1. The aminocyclopropane, carboxylic acid deaminase-producing Streptomyces Violaceoruber, UAE can provide protection from sudden decline syndrome on date palm

• By: Dr. Synan Abuqamar / UAEU / UAE
• In cooperation with ADAFSA, KCGEB & Murdoch University in Australia

Influential Figure in the Field of Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation category (Equally awarded to):

1. Prof. Samir H. Al-Shakir, PhD / Iraq

And

1. Prof. Ricardo Salomón Torres, PhD / Mexico

Pioneering and Sophisticated Innovations Serving the Agricultural Sector category awarded to:

1. From Waste to Wealth:

• By: Dr. Lai Kok Song / Higher Colleges of Technology / UAE

An important leap and big steps

The Award’s Secretary General then added that since its inception, the Award has made great strides and achieved leadership to become the first award of its kind in the world, thanks to the generous patronage, and the continuous support of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Presidential Court, 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. Where 169 scientists, representing 26 countries did participate in the Award’s Fifteenth session.

UAE Local Award Winners

From his side, Dr. Helal Humaid Saed Al Kaabi, Member of the Award’s Board of Trustees, pointed out that the Distinguished and Innovative Farmer Award in the UAE, organized by the Award’s General Secretariat in cooperation with Al Foah company, has attracted during its Fifth session a group of local distinguished farm owners, with a total of 125 date growers, who produce the best and finest date palm varieties in the United Arab Emirates, the competition concentrated on five categories, where the winners were selected according to the approved criteria and mechanisms. Mr. Mohammed Ghanem Al Mansouri, representative of Al Foah Company also highlighted the great efforts put by the Award’s General Secretariat, in supervising and organizing the Distinguished and Innovative Farmer Award in the UAE. This Award reflects the great attention extended by our wise leadership, towards date palm growers in the UAE. Al Foah company also strives to serve date palm growers in the UAE, in cooperation with the Award’s General Secretariat, which aims to honor the distinguished and innovative farmers in the UAE to find a role model among date palm growers, and transfer their distinguished experiences to others.

Based on the technical committee’s report, and which consists of experts representing the UAE’s Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority, and Al Foah company, the Award’s General Secretariat approved the winners’ names, and the results were as follows:

Small Scale Farm Category

1. First Place Winner: Khalifa Suhail Ali Rabea AlMazroei
2. Second Place Winner: Mouza Mohamed Bakheet Al Hmairi

Average Scale Farm Category

1. First Place Winner: Khamis Mohamed Khamis Fraih Al Qubaisi
2. Second Place Winner: Rashid Hamad Mussabah Faris Al Shamsi

Above Average Scale Farm Category

1. First Place Winner: Ali Saeed Hmoudah Khamis Al Aryani
2. Second Place Winner: Ismail Mohamed Ismail Obaid Al Yamahi

Large Scale Farm Category

1. First Place Winner: Khalifa Butti Mohamed Khalifa Al Shamsi