The Ninth Abu Dhabi International Dates Exhibition began today at the Abu Dhabi International Exhibition Centre. The 3-day event is held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister, Chairman of the Presidential Court, and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA), and the supervision of 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.
Organised by ADNEC Group in cooperation with the Khalifa International Award for Date Palms and Agricultural Innovation, the exhibition, held in conjunction with the second edition of the Abu Dhabi International Food Exhibition (ADIFE), is set to be the largest-to-date edition, as it sees the participation of 93 exhibitors and 79 brands of local and international producers, manufacturers and exporters, offering over 65 products.
In a statement, Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak commended the level of excellence seen across the past editions of the Abu Dhabi Dates Exhibition, and its growing role as an incubator for producers, manufacturers and exporters of Arab and international dates. Over the years, the exhibition had evolved into a melting pot for local, Arab and international stakeholders in the field of date cultivation, production, processing and marketing.
For his part, Dr. Abdel Wahab Zayed, Secretary-General of the Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation, affirmed that “the Abu Dhabi International Date Palm Exhibition, in its ninth edition, is following the path of success and boosting its pivotal role in highlighting the importance of dates as a cornerstone in the food security equation in the national economies of producing countries. The exhibition also enhances Abu Dhabi’s position as the capital of dates and a platform for the development of this sector through its support for and facilitation of efforts by major growers, producers and importers of dates.”
This year features exhibitors from 20 countries, including the UAE, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Mexico, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Kingdom of Morocco, Palestine, Iraq, Mauritania, Pakistan and Syria, the Republic of Sudan, Algeria, Australia, Indonesia, Italy, Tunisia, Thailand, and India.
Humaid Matar Al Dhaheri, Managing Director and Group CEO of ADNEC Group, said, “The ADNEC Group is committed to actively national efforts to advance the performance, output and future of various promising sectors and industries in a way that enhances their competitiveness at the local, regional and global levels. Our hosting of the Abu Dhabi International Dates Exhibition alongside ADIFE reflects ADNEC Group’s strategy of driving and advancing the food, food and hospitality industries sectors in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. As one of the most vital sectors on which the vision of our wise leadership for the next fifty years is based, the exhibition will provide a global platform for showcasing the latest innovations, the conclusion of partnerships, and the opening up of investment opportunities in these pivotal and important sectors.”