Winners of Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation honoured
Winners of Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation 17th Editin 2025 honoured
The International Union for the Control of the Red Palm Weevil launches
Sheikh Nahyan witnesses the signing of nine memoranda of understanding between the award and a number of ministries of agriculture and international organizations.
AbuDhabi(News Desk)::Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court; Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, Chairman of Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation Board of Trustees, attended the award’s winners honouring ceremony, in its 17th session, on Wednesday.
The event was held in the presence of AbdulHakim Elwaer, Assistant Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) and Regional Representative for the Near East and North Africa,als0 attended by RH Prince Dr. Faisal Bin Mishaal bin Saud bin Abdulaziz, Governor of Al Qassim Province of Saudi Arabia; Dr. Maitha bint Salem Al Shamsi, UAE Minister of States; Dr. Abdulkareem Mohammed Al Amri, Former President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Arab Authority for Agricultural Investment & Development& Research, Rana Tanveer Hussain, Federal Minister for National Food Security pakistan Hamad Obaid Ibrahim Salem Alzaabi, UAE Ambassador to Pakistan; and Faisal Niaz Tirmizi, Ambassador of Pakistan to the UAE..
More than 10 ministers and deputy ministers of agriculture from date-producing countries, alongside directors of regional and international organisations, attended the ceremony. The event also welcomed 52 Ambassadors, members of the diplomatic corps in the UAE, members of the award’s Board of Trustees, past winners, and specialists in the field of date palm cultivation.
Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak AlNahyan praised the commitment of President H.H Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to agricultural development in the UAE, and in particular to the date palm cultivation sector.
Sheikh Nahyan also extended his sincere thanks to H.H Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed generous patronage and commitment to ensuring that this prestigious international award serves as a genuine reflection of the nation’s strong interest in advancing agricultural development.
He also expressed his pride in the Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation, which operates under the Erth Zayed Philanthropies umbrella. “This affiliation evokes in our hearts and minds the legacy of the late founding father, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, whose visionary leadership laid the foundation for the UAE’s agricultural renaissance.”
Sheikh Nahyan announced H.H. Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler’s Representative in Al Ain Region, as the 2025 Personality of the Year of Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation.
Honoring the winners of the international award
His Excellency Sheikh Nahyan Mubarak Al Nahyan honored the winners of the Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation in its seventeenth session 2025, as follows: In the category of distinguished research and studies and modern technology, the award was shared between: : Dr. Abdul Qader Jijili, SuSTATability Company ) for statistical solutions from the Kingdom of Australia , and Dr. Khaled Michel Hazouri, Khalifa Center for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering from the United Arab Emirates. The category of pioneering development and production projects was won jointly by Eden Innovations from the United Arab Emirates , and Dr. Nawaf Salem Al-Hajri from Kuwait University. The category of pioneering and advanced innovations serving the agricultural sector was won by Spotta from the United Kingdom . The category of distinguished producers, manufacturers and marketers was won jointly by Khamis Mohammed Khamis Fareh Al-Qubaisi from the United Arab Emirates , and Engineer Al-Qadri bin Mohammed Benoun from the Republic of Tunisia. The category of distinguished personality in the field of palm trees, dates and agricultural innovation was won jointly by Professor Dr. Ghulam Sarwar Markhand from the Islamic Republic of Pakistan , and Professor Dr. Sherif Fathy Ali Ibrahim Al-Sharbasi from the Arab Republic of Egypt .
International Union for the Control of the Red Palm Weevil
His Excellency Sheikh Nahyan Mubarak Al Nahyan also announced the launch of the International Union for Combating the Red Palm Weevil, with the support of the Office of International Affairs at the Presidential Court, in cooperation with the Gates Foundation, and in close collaboration between the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), the Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation, and in collaboration with the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture, the United Arab Emirates University, and the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority. This union represents a favorable response to the recommendations of the United Nations Climate Change Conference COP28. It contributes to enhancing the economic, cultural, and social value of date palms, in addition to providing environmentally friendly solutions that contribute to achieving sustainable development worldwide.
International praise for the UAE’s efforts
For his part, His Excellency Dr. Qu Dongyu, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), pointed out in his speech delivered on his behalf by His Excellency Dr. Abdelhakim Al-Waer , Assistant Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Regional Representative for the Middle East and North Africa ( FAO-RNE). ), The economic transformation in recent years has led to the intensification of palm cultivation and a rapid increase in international date trade. The Arab region accounts for the majority of the world’s date cultivation and production area. Since 2013, in just over a decade, date production in North Africa has increased from 3.08 million tons to 4.3 million tons, an increase of approximately 23%.
This is mainly due to an increase in the cultivated area from 0.37 million hectares to 0.47 million hectares, and the volume of date exports from the region almost doubled during the same period (according to FAO statistics).
Award Achievements
The award ceremony also included a film showcasing the award’s achievements over the past eighteen years in the date palm sector (2007-2025). The award has worked to develop the palm cultivation and date production sector at the national, regional and international levels, thanks to the guidance and support of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, and the follow-up of His Excellency Sheikh Nahyan Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence and Chairman of the Award’s Board of Trustees. The film also featured the supervision of His Highness Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Court for Development Affairs and Martyrs’ Families, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Zayed Humanitarian Legacy Foundation , through the launch of a number of development initiatives and projects aimed at enhancing food security.
Signing of 09 Memoranda of Understanding
His Excellency Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence and Chairman of the Award’s Board of Trustees , also witnessed the signing of nine memoranda of understanding for the year 2025 with a number of ministers of agriculture and directors of regional and international organizations in a number of countries. The agreements aim to enhance cooperation between the Award’s General Secretariat and regional and international organizations, thus contributing to the development of the palm cultivation sector, date production, and agricultural innovation at the national, Arab, and international levels. The agreements were signed as follows: A Memorandum of Understanding with ADNEC Group regarding the organization of the 11th Abu Dhabi Date Palm Exhibition; a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Agriculture of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan regarding the organization of the 7th International Jordanian Date Festival; a Memorandum of Understanding with the Federal Ministry of National Food Security and Scientific Research of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan regarding the organization of the 2nd International Pakistani Date Festival; and a Memorandum of Understanding with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia regarding the organization of the 1st International Ethiopian Date Festival. With the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania regarding the organization of the Fourth International Mauritanian Date Festival, and two memoranda of understanding with the International Fund for Crop Diversity ( Crop Trust). ) Regarding the registration of the Medjool date variety on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List . And regarding the World Date Palm Day .
Finally, a letter of goodwill to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and a group of national institutions and the following regional and international organizations regarding the organization of the Eighth International Date Palm Conference 2026.
Launching 7 scientific books
His Excellency Sheikh Nahyan Mubarak Al Nahyan also witnessed the launch of seven scientific books issued by the General Secretariat of the Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation, as follows: Date Palm Cultivation in Arabic and English, a Dictionary of Biotechnology Terms in Food and Agriculture, In cooperation with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The book “Date Palm Cultivation and Date Production in Mexico” in Spanish, in cooperation with the University of Sonora State. The book “The Unknown Variety: The Pearl of Dates” in Indonesian. This book, due to its special importance, was previously published in four languages (English, Arabic, French, and Spanish) and is now in Indonesian. The book “Date Food Industries” in Arabic, in cooperation with Professor Dr. Hassan Khaled Al-Kaidi. The book “Organic Agriculture” in English. The book launch ceremony was attended by the authors of these books.
About the Zayed Humanitarian Legacy Foundation
The Zayed Humanitarian Legacy Foundation was established in November 2024 by federal decree to advance the UAE’s global philanthropic efforts under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE. Based in Abu Dhabi, the Zayed Humanitarian Legacy Foundation preserves the legacy of giving instilled by the UAE’s founding father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and is chaired by His Highness Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Court for Development and Martyrs’ Affairs and President of the International Council for Humanitarian and Charitable Action. The Zayed Humanitarian Legacy Foundation oversees a range of charities and awards across diverse sectors, aiming to deliver transformative impact to communities in need around the world.