The auction is open to visitors wishing to buy dates from UAE residents and visitors between 5pm and 10pm.

Jamil Khan, Senior Reporter

The Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Center (HHC), in collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Cultural Programmes and Heritage Festivals Committee, is organising the ‘Liwa Dates Auction’ on Saturday (Nov 9) at Jumeirah Majlis 3 in Dubai.

The auction, which is aimed at celebrating the fruit as well as bringing awareness on the cultural significance of the date palm in Emirati traditions, is open to visitors wishing to buy dates from UAE residents and visitors between 5pm and 10pm.

Participation in the auction is open to all, and those wishing to make their bid can register at the venue. The auction will see participation from date farmers from the UAE only.

Obaid Khalfan Al Mazrouei, Director of the Planning and Projects Department at the Committee, appreciated the fruitful cooperation and joint efforts to preserve the cultural heritage of the UAE and also to have a market for farmers to sell their produce.

Hind Bin Demaithan Al Qemzi, Director of Events at HHC, added that “we are organizing this auction for the second time out of the Center’s corporate social responsibility and in the context of promoting sustainable farming of palm trees and celebrating its fruits.”

However, the HHC has been participating in the 33rd session of General Secretariat meeting in Riyad, Saudi Arabia aim to revival of the local heritage.

The Research and Studies Department of the HHC has been taking part in the session for the sixth consecutive year. According to the agenda of the meeting, the General Secretariat of the GCC Centers for Documentation and Studies discussed the strategies and work accomplished since last year’s meeting held in Kuwait.

Fatima Saif Bin Huraiz, Director of Research and Studies Department pointed out the importance of the Center’s presence in this constructive gathering for the sixth year, to follow up the plans and strategies that have been set in order to achieve the desired goals and take advantage of all tools and proposals to upgrade the standards of conservation and preservation Cultural heritage at the level of the region.

Recently, the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, Adnoc, participated in the annual Liwa Dates Festival 2019, which took place in Al Dhafra from 17th to 27th July, under the patronage Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, who is the event’s sponsor.

The company’s representatives welcomed the visitors to its pavilion and briefed them about Adnoc’s efforts to develop the palm tree agriculture sector in Al Dhafra.

Adnoc’s pavilion at the festival will highlight the company’s efforts to promote palm trees cultivation and the UAE’s traditional heritage, by introducing the company’s date products from Zirku Island, 140 kilometres from Abu Dhabi.

Since 2002, Adnoc began cultivating palm trees on the island, and its farms produce 25 varieties of dates, including Al Anbar dates that are known for its quality and size, averaging 5 centimetres.

Adnoc also noted that the number of palm trees it planted on the island has increased from 875 to 1,500, adding that in 2018, the island produced around 8.5 tonnes of ripe dates (Rutab) and 5.5 tonnes of dates.

Adnoc further added that its pavilion organises daily workshops for local farmers, to introduce them to the company’s fertilisers and raise their awareness of how to use them in the correct way, as well as inform them about how to properly cultivate palm trees. The company also organises workshops for the youth, to inform them about the company’s various science, technology, engineering and mathematics programmes in Abu Dhabi and Al Dhafra.

Reem Albuainain, Director of Social Responsibility at Adnoc, said that the company’s participation in the festival is due to its keenness to implement the vision of the country’s leadership to protect Emirati heritage, adding that the festival will support the development of Al Dhafra Region and promote traditional Emirati culture.