Nominations Open For 17th Khalifa Award In Date Palm And Agricultural Innovation

The General Secretariat of the Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation has opened nominations for its 17th session (2025). The nomination period runs from 4th June 2024 to 15th December 2024. This announcement invites date palm growers, producers, researchers, academics, and enthusiasts worldwide to apply.

The award is under the patronage of Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence and Chairman of the Board of Trustees. The announcement was made during a press conference at the Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi, attended by Dr. Abdelouahhab Zaid, Secretary-General of the Award, and Dr. Helal Humaid Saed Al Kaabi, a member of the Board of Trustees.

Dr. Zaid highlighted that the award has significantly increased participation from the UAE over seventeen years. This rise in participation has led to more winners from the UAE compared to other countries. The award has positively impacted entities involved in date palm cultivation, production, manufacturing, marketing, and research.

Dr. Al Kaabi presented detailed statistics on participants over the past seventeen years. A total of 2,012 candidates from 59 countries have participated in various categories. Of these, 102 participants won awards. Specifically, 1,586 Arab participants included 54 winners, while 160 participants from the UAE included 30 winners. Additionally, 265 foreign participants included 18 winners.

Category-wise Participation

The Distinguished Innovative Studies and Modern Technology category saw the highest participation with 910 participants (45.23%). The Pioneering Development and Productive Projects category had 294 participants (14.61%). The Distinguished Producers category had 102 participants (5.07%). The Pioneering and Sophisticated Innovations Serving the Agricultural Sector category had 406 participants (20.18%). Lastly, the Influential Figure in Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation category had 291 participants (14.91%).

Honouring Ceremony

The General Secretariat also announced that online applications are now being accepted. Winners will be announced in January 2025, with an honouring ceremony scheduled for February 2025.

With inputs from WAM