Ajman dates festival sees record number of visitors

Imran Mojib, Special Correspondent

The Liwa Ajman Dates & Honey Festival 2019 concluded on Saturday after an impressive show registering a record number of visitors and exhibitors.

Organised by the Ajman Tourism & Development Department (ATDD), the festival included a series of CSR initiatives, including discounts for people with determination and distribution of 80 kilos of honey worth Dhs70,000 for free to the charitable societies in the UAE.

The show also celebrated the UAE’s ancient heritage, customs and traditions in a festive atmosphere, and included a variety of fun and exciting activities enjoyed by an entire whole family. It also included an exhibition of the UAE’s best palm tree produce, and dozens of farmers displayed the finest varieties of dates, citrus fruit and local honey.

ATDD Director General Saleh Mohamed Al Geziry said that the festival was an embodiment of the approach of the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan. It was also a reflection of the vision of the UAE’s wise leaders, who are keen to preserve our nation’s cultural heritage, traditions and folklore and to support agriculture, industries and crafts, particularly the cultivation of palm trees and the production of honey.

ATDD Head of Events Saud Al Jasmi said that the show witnessed attractive activities and high turnout of visitors since the first day.

“It is a major event for date and honey industry. Palm tree lovers enjoyed this year’s activities. In addition, we witnessed, this year, the honey competition, following the participation of honey producers in the festival for the first time, and the fruits and citrus fruits competition, which encourages the locally grown products, among many more activities which attracted a large number of visitors,” he said.

“Such festivals encourage increasing the flow of tourists into the UAE and reflect the government’s commitment to support the UAE product. The festival highlights the best and finest locally grown dates, honey and citrus fruits and introduces the Emirati agricultural product to the local and international public. The ATDD is always striving to achieve these vital goals and has demonstrated a significant success in this regard,” he added.

The Festival also included a laboratory to analyse the quality of honey in collaboration with Dubai Municipality to examine the types of honey exhibited during the festival including natural sedar honey, natural chestnut honey, thyme honey, and mountain honey.

The Festival witnessed many activities aimed at reviving the heritage, celebrating the ancient customs and traditions of the UAE, as well as offering the best quality of dates, honey, fruits and palm products. In addition, seminars and workshops were organised during the festival to support farmers.

For the first time, a Honey Competition was held at the Ajman Liwa Dates & Honey Festival, where the Festival also witnessed participation of various honey traders. The competition was divided into three categories: the best liquid honey competition held on the second day of the festival, the best Fixed honey competition held on the third day of the festival, and the best honey wax contest organised on the fourth day of the festival. Results were based on the homogeneity of liquid and crystalline honey species and wax honeycombs free from impurities, air bubbles, smells and natural taste, while also taking into consideration the standards of hygiene.

Visitors expressed their admiration and appreciation for the diverse events organised on the sidelines of the Festival; this reflects the strength of the current generation’s connection to their cultural heritage. The farmers and honey producers emphasised their interest in participating in competitions at future editions of the Festival.

The Liwa Ajman Dates and Honey Festival 2019 is being sponsored by several distinguished companies, institutions and public and private sector organisations, including Al Foah Company – the Festival’s Diamond Sponsor, Cultural Programs and Heritage Festivals Committee - Abu Dhabi – the Gold Sponsor, Abu Dhabi Police General Headquarters, Sharjah Institute for Heritage, Ajman Chamber of Commerce & Industry, and Liwa Company – the Silver Sponsor Organisations that are supporting the Festival include the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, Khalifa International Award for Dates, Dubai Municipality, Ajman Municipality and Planning Department, Ajman Police General Headquarters and Ajman Civil Defence.