Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan honors winner of Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation in a Virtual Event
Abu Dhabi:(Press Release)Under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation, today attended a virtual ceremony honoring the winner of the 13th edition of the award.The event was also attended by Director General (FAO) United Nations Dr.Qu Dongyu,Minister of State for Food Security , Mariam bint Mohammed Saeed Hareb Al Moheiri, Members award’s board of trustees and several people interested in date palm agriculture.
Sheikh Nahyan delivered a speech during Virtual Award Ceremony ,expressing his appreciation for the founder of the award, President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who has always stressed the fact that the UAE is a model to be emulated of overall scientific progress, cooperation and joint action and all that achieve this wise vision, represented by the values instilled by the country’s founder, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. Sheikh Nahyan stated that honoring the winners of the award’s 13th edition confirms its commitment to adopting strategies and plans aimed at achieving comprehensive agricultural development and encouraging the agriculture of date palms, in light of the efforts aimed at achieving food security, supporting sustainable development, and promoting the values of tolerance, coexistence, peace and compassion. Sheikh Nahyan thanked His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, for supporting the award to make the UAE lead the world in terms of co-operation and joint action, His Highness Crown Prince always believe that the award is an important tool for promoting co-operation between peoples and encouraging beneficial work aimed at achieving humanity’s prosperity.
Sheikh Nahyan also thanked Sheikh Mansour for supporting the award and enabling it to succeed while highlighting Sheikh Mansour’s keenness to consolidate the award stature as a platform for specialists in agricultural innovation, as well as Sheikh Mansour’s support for the award’s efforts to organize Arab date palm festivals in Egypt, Sudan, Jordan and Mauritania.
Director General FAO United Nations Dr.Qu Dongyu, commended the role of the UAE in supporting and developing date palm agriculture and production, as well as global agricultural innovation.
International Award winners:
H.E. Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, then honored the Award winners of the 13th and 12th sessions, as follows: The Distinguished Innovative Studies and Modern Technology Category, was awarded to Dr. Sarah Sallon / State of Israel, for the year 2021, and the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology/ Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, for the year 2020, The Pioneering Development & Productive Projects category, was awarded equally to Boudjebel S.A. VACPA for Continuous Improvement of Date Palm Sector / Republic of Tunisia, and International center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), for the year 2021, and awarded to the American University of Beirut/ Lebanese Republic, for the year 2020, The Pioneering and Advanced Innovations to Serve the Agricultural Sector category, was awarded equally to Teeba Engineering Industries Company / United Arab Emirates, and Dr. Aqeel Hadi Abdulwahid, Agriculture College, Basra University, Republic of Iraq, for the year 2021, and awarded to AL Nakhli Company/ United Arab Emirates, for the year 2020, Distinguished Individuals in the Field of Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation category, was awarded equally to Prof. Abdellah Mohammed Haj Mohammed / Kingdom of Spain, and Dr. Walid Abdul Ghani Kaakeh / Syrian Arab Republic, for the year 2021, and awarded equally to Professor Dr. Kazuo Shinozaki, Empire of Japan, and Dr. Hasnaâ Harrak, Kingdom of Morocco, for the year 2020.
Honoring to the respected Excellencies:
H.E. Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, honored a number of National and International personalities, who have contributed to the service and development of the agricultural, date palm cultivation and production sectors worldwide, and who are:
- H.E. Mariam Bint Mohammed Saeed Hareb Al Muhairi, Minister of State for Food and Water Security, United Arab Emirates.(2).H.E. Abdullah Ameen Al Shorafa, Private Advisor of H.H. Ruler of Ajman, United Arab Emirates.(3).H.E. Dr. Bandar Mohammed Hajjar, President of the Islamic Development Bank, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.(4).H.E. Dr. Mustafa Al Asram, Former Director General, National Institute for Agricultural Research, Republic of Tunisia.(5).Pieter F. de Wet, Republic of Namibia(6).Samir Al Shaker, International expert in date palm cultivation and date production, Republic of Iraq.
Sheikh Nahyan watched a musical performance showcasing the efforts of Sheikh Mansour to support date palm agriculture in the UAE and other Arab countries, including the establishment of Arab date palm festivals in Egypt, Sudan, Jordan, Mauritania and Morocco, which are key cornerstones of sustainable development and food security.