AL DHAFRA, 16th October, 2026 (WAM) — The fifth edition of the Al Dhafra Dates Festival opened today under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler’s Representative in the Al Dhafra Region.
Organised by the Abu Dhabi Heritage Authority, the festival will run until 25th October, with Kuwait participating as the guest of honour for this year’s edition.
On its opening day, the festival received 1,800 kilogrammes of dates from 24 contestants competing in the Al Dhafra Elite competition, and 576 kilogrammes from 15 contestants in the Dates Packaging Without Additives competition.
A further 40 contestants participated in the Sidr Honey competition. The winners of the Al Dhafra Elite and Dates Packaging Without Additives competitions will be announced tomorrow.
The festival will feature 22 competitions offering 180 prizes with a total value of AED4.6 million, alongside a daily dates auction and a programme of heritage, cultural and family-oriented activities. The fifth edition will also introduce the Date Palm Auction for the first time.
The festival programme also includes the International Competition for Cooking with Dates, Date Products and Olive Oil, bringing together chefs from hotels and representatives of productive families.
The new Palm Auction will seek to preserve local palm varieties, propagate rare and economically valuable cultivars, and make them available to farmers and enthusiasts.
Kuwait’s participation reflects the deep-rooted fraternal ties between the two countries and their shared cultural heritage. It will offer visitors an opportunity to discover different facets of Kuwaiti heritage while encouraging interaction and the exchange of expertise among participants.
Source: Emirates News Agency