Bahariya oasis: The Bahariya Oasis in Giza Governorate witnessed today the official opening of the 8th International Egyptian Dates Festival, an event bringing together date growers, producers, and exporters to celebrate the date palm and inspire innovation in the industry. The festival is organised by the Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation.
According to Emirates News Agency, the opening ceremony was attended by Major General Engineer Sherif El-Rashidi, Head of the Industrial Sector, on behalf of Lieutenant General Kamel El-Wazir, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and Transport of Egypt; Alaa El-Din Farouk Zaki, Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation; Adel El Naggar, Governor of Giza; Abdul Basit Mohammed Al Marzouqi, Minister Plenipotentiary and Deputy Head of UAE Mission in Cairo; Dr Abdul Wahab Zayed, Secretary-General of the Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation; and several representatives of regional and international organisations and date palm farmers.
Addressing the opening ceremony, Major General Engineer Sherif El-Rashidi affirmed that the International Egyptian Dates Festival embodies a model of Arab partnership in supporting agricultural development and related industries, especially the date palm sector, which is crucial for achieving food security and Arab economic integration. He appreciated the UAE's support for Arab countries, particularly in agriculture and agricultural innovation, noting that this cooperation reflects a vision to enhance the added value of Egyptian dates and open new avenues for investment and export, serving the goals of sustainable economic development for Egypt and the region.
The Giza Governor highlighted that hosting the festival with the support of the Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation, in collaboration with the Egyptian Ministry of Industry and the Presidential Court of the United Arab Emirates, marks a step in promoting rural development and improving the livelihoods of farmers, as well as raising the quality of Egyptian dates and increasing their competitiveness in global markets.
Dr Abdul Wahab Zayed stated that the festival, launched in 2015 in Siwa, has become a platform to empower Egyptian date farmers, manufacturers, and exporters, facilitating the transfer of knowledge and technology and improving quality while serving as a bridge to international markets. The secretariat general of the Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation has been working with its partners in Egypt since 2015 to develop the palm cultivation and date production sector and is determined to expand its impact.
The festival's opening ceremony included a screening of a documentary about the Bahariya Oasis, performances by a folk arts troupe, and another documentary about the award's achievements over 18 years in serving the palm cultivation and date production sector. The organising committee opened the festival with 120 farmers and exhibitors participating within 105 pavilions representing eight date-producing countries: the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Morocco, Mauritania, Mexico, Pakistan, and Egypt, along with the Arab Centre for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands (ACSAD).