Al Dhafra:Al Dhafra Region The fifth edition of the Al Dhafra Dates Festival commenced today, held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler's Representative in the Al Dhafra Region. This event, organized by the Abu Dhabi Heritage Authority, will continue until October 25th.

According to Emirates News Agency, the festival opened with the participation of Kuwait as the guest of honour this year. On the first day, the festival welcomed 1,800 kilogrammes of dates from 24 contestants in the Al Dhafra Elite competition, alongside 576 kilogrammes from 15 contestants in the Dates Packaging Without Additives competition. Additionally, 40 contestants took part in the Sidr Honey competition, with winners to be announced tomorrow.

The festival includes 22 competitions with 180 prizes valued at a total of AED4.6 million. Highlights include a daily dates auction and a variety of heritage, cultural, and family-oriented activities. This year, a new Date Palm Auction will be introduced to promote and preserve local palm varieties and rare cultivars.

The programme also features the International Competition for Cooking with Dates, Date Products, and Olive Oil, inviting chefs from hotels and members of productive families. Kuwait's involvement in the festival underscores the strong bilateral ties and shared cultural heritage between the two nations, offering visitors a chance to explore Kuwaiti traditions and fostering exchange among participants.