Visitors dance during the Liwa Date Festival in Abu Dhabi. WAM

Organised by the Cultural Programmes and Heritage Festivals Committee —  Abu Dhabi and the Abu Dhabi Heritage Club, the festival will run until Saturday (July 30) in Liwa, Al Dhafra Region.

Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Presidential Court, this year’s festival will take on a new format.

The festival, which is aimed at connecting producers, businesses, and investors, will include 23 main competitions with 293 prizes worth a total of Dhs8.3 million, to highlight, promote, and reward the best of the best in the industry, as well as a variety of pavilions and stalls.

The festival, which is being held during the Year of Sustainability, is one of Abu Dhabi’s most significant heritage events and tourist attractions and highlights the many ways in which dates have impacted the cultural, heritage and economic life of the country. It provides a great place for visitors to learn about dates and to sample the most popular date varieties grown in the United Arab Emirates.

Visitors can also explore the UAE’s culture and heritage through a popular market, national pavilions, council sections and craft corners. The market will have 165 shops and pavilions featuring products by productive families and national institutions, as well as food carts and mobile cafes.

WAM