​​​​​​Sharjah: The Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) announced the launch of the 10th edition of the Al Dhaid Date Festival, scheduled to be held at Expo Al Dhaid from 23 to 26 July, bringing together hundreds of palm farmers and date producers from across the UAE.

This year’s edition marks ten years since the festival’s inception, highlighting its evolution into a key platform for supporting sustainable agricultural growth and preserving the Emirati authentic heritage.

The announcement was made during a press conference held today, Wednesday, at Expo Al Dhaid, where remarks were delivered by H.E. Mohammed Ahmed Amin Al Awadi, Director-General of SCCI; H.E. Saeed bin Fadel Al Ketbi, Director of Al Wusta TV Channel; Mohammed Musabeh Al Tunaiji, General Coordinator of Al Dhaid Date Festival; and Rashid Mohair Al Ketbi, Chairman of the Festival’s Screening and Evaluation Committee.

The event was attended by Khalil Al Mansouri, Director of Government Relations at SCCI, and Jamal Saeed Bouzanjal, Director of Corporate Communication at SCCI, as well as government officials and representatives from local media outlets.

The press conference also featured the award ceremony for the winners of the second edition of the “Bisharat Al-Qaydh” competition, a specialised initiative launched by the Sharjah Chamber last year to encourage best practices in palm cultivation and reward producers of premium early-season dates.

Designed to mark the start of the “Al-Qaydh” harvesting season, the competition attracted 70 contestants in its second edition, with 20 winners receiving valuable prizes for presenting the best locally grown Naghal date samples from the 2026 crop. This strong participation reflected the growing success of the initiative and its increasing prominence within the agricultural community.

In his remarks, H.E. Mohammed Ahmed Amin Al Awadi said that the Al Dhaid Date Festival has established itself, over the past ten years, as a leading platform for supporting the agricultural sector, promoting its sustainability, and preserving the UAE’s rich agricultural heritage.

He noted that the festival has played an important role in connecting date producers and industry experts from across the country, facilitating knowledge exchange and sector collaboration.

Al Awadi added that the rapid progress achieved in Sharjah’s agricultural sector reflects a clear strategic vision focused on investing in modern farming practices, strengthening food security, and advancing sustainability. This vision has led to the implementation of a range of high-impact agricultural projects that continue to strengthen the emirate’s agricultural ecosystem and support its broader economic objectives.

For his part, H.E. Saeed bin Fadel Al Ketbi reaffirmed Al Wusta TV Channel’s commitment to supporting the Al Dhaid Date Festival through extensive media coverage designed to showcase its activities, competitions, and cultural significance.

Mohammed Musabeh Al Tunaiji stated that Organising Committee the Al Dhaid Date Festival has positioned the 10th edition as a milestone event celebrating a decade of growth and achievement.

He emphasised that the Organising Committee has maintained close coordination with the Sharjah Chamber to further develop the festival’s competition categories and expand its accompanying activities to incorporate additional educational and cultural initiatives.

Al Tunaiji added that the festival places strong emphasis on advancing agricultural innovation and promoting the adoption of modern farming technologies that enhance the efficiency and quality of local agricultural output.

Meanwhile, Rashid Mohair Al Ketbi said the judging committees will implement rigorous evaluation procedures to ensure fairness, transparency, and consistency across all festival competitions.

He explained that the second edition of the “Bisharat Al-Qaydh” competition operates under clearly defined quality standards for Naghal dates, requiring entries to weigh 4 kilograms, achieve a 50% ripeness and uniformity rate, and be free of visible defects or insect infestation.

“The Al Dhaid Date Festival also remains committed to engaging younger generations through the Ratb Al Kharaif contest for children, which is designed to strengthen their connection to the UAE’s cultural and farming legacy,” Al Ketbi added.

This year’s edition will feature an expanded list of competitions for farmers, with substantial prizes allocated to encourage participation and reward excellence. This includes popular varieties such as Khneizi, Khalas, and Shishi, along with two elite categories: ‘General Al Dhaid Elite Dates’ and ‘Special Al Dhaid Elite Dates’ for Northern Emirates farmers.

Other contests target specific community groups, such as a women’s homegrown date competition and a children’s ‘Ratb Al Kharaif Beauty’ contest, in addition to categories for locally grown lemons and red figs.

The competition schedule has been structured across the festival’s four-day programme, beginning on 23 July with the Khneizi Date Beauty contest and the Local Lemon competition, followed on 24 July by the Khalas Date Beauty contest and the Red Fig competition.

The programme will continue on Saturday, 25 July, with the Shishi Date Beauty Contest and the Modern and Traditional Home-Grown Date Harvest Competition for women. The festival will conclude on Sunday, 26 July, with the ‘General Dhaid Elite Dates’ and the ‘Northern Emirates Dhaid Elite Dates’ competitions, in addition to the ‘Ratb Al Kharaif Beauty’ contest for children.

Competition entries will be received daily from 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., while the winners’ award ceremony will take place after Maghrib prayers.

The Organising Committee of the Al Dhaid Date Festival announced a comprehensive set of eligibility and quality requirements for participation in dates competitions of this year’s edition. All entries must be locally produced from the UAE’s 2026 harvest and originate from farms owned by the participants, supported by relevant ownership documentation.

Participants must also present dates that are at an optimal ripeness stage. Submitted dates should be free from insect infestations, dead insects, or any apparent defects, and must be presented in a premium-quality 4-kilogram Makhrafa basket without hanging cords, while achieving the required 50% ripeness and consistency threshold.

The rules further stipulate that participants may not secure awards in more than two individual categories, although participation in the elite categories remains permitted. Entrants must also take an oath confirming compliance with the rules, while the judging committee retains the right to conduct farm inspections for verification purposes. All judging decisions are final, and submitted entries cannot be reclaimed once delivered to the competition organisers.

The eligibility requirements for the festival’s elite categories were defined to ensure structured competition and consistency in quality standards.

The ‘General Dhaid Elite Dates’ category, open to participants from all emirates, requires the submission of five varieties, each weighing 3 kilograms, while the ‘Northern Emirates Dhaid Elite Dates’ category, limited to farms and households in the Northern Emirates, requires four varieties, each weighing 4 kilograms. Both categories stipulate that submitted varieties must not have been entered in other individual competitions.

For the Local Lemon and Red Fig competitions, entries must be sourced from the participant’s own farm or home garden. Submission requirements include 8 kilograms for lemons and 3 kilograms for figs.

The Home-Grown Date Harvest Competition is exclusively open to women aged 25 years and above from the Northern Emirates. Participants are required to submit 3 kilograms of a single Kharaif date variety, either modern or traditional, sourced strictly from home gardens, excluding farm and estate (farmstead) produce. The competition prohibits the use of Khneizi and Khalas varieties, and limits participation to one variety per household. Participants must present home location maps and identification documents, with verification carried out through home visits, and results announced the following day.

Ratb Al Kharaif Beauty contest is open to boys and girls aged 7 to 15 from the Emirate of Sharjah. Each participant must present a minimum of 3 kilograms of Kharaif dates, sourced from family farms or home gardens and submitted in person while wearing official attire and providing identification documents. The varieties Khneizi, Khalas, and Shishi are not allowed in this category.

For further information, please contact:
Ali Elgendy
Misbar Communications|
ali@misbar-me.com

Ahmad Aldwairi
Misbar Communications
ahmad.aldwairi@misbar-me.com