The United Arab Emirates has placed significant importance on the agricultural sector in general and has given special attention to the date palm tree due to its crucial role in the lives of the desert inhabitants. The date palm has been a primary source of food, shelter, tools, and a vital part of the cultural and national identity. The UAE has achieved a prestigious global position in this field, contributing constructively to the advancement of the sector, preserving resources, and supporting food security. This is all thanks to the vision of the award's patron, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the State, through initiatives and activities aimed at achieving sustainable development in accordance with the best international practices.

Celebrating the distinguished relationship between the United Arab Emirates and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, and under the directives and support of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President of the State, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Presidential Affairs of the UAE, and the supervision of His Excellency Sheikh Nahyan 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, the General Secretariat of the award works within its strategic goals to develop the date palm sector in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan by launching a number of programs and projects to develop and enhance this sector. The International Date Festival in Amman was the first success story of the award on Jordanian soil.

Within this promising vision comes the initiative of the award to organize the fourth International Date Festival under the patronage of His Majesty King Abdullah II of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, in cooperation with its strategic partners at the Ministry of Agriculture of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (MOA), the Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation, and the Jordanian Date Association (JODA), in the Jordanian capital, Amman, from October 10-12, 2024. This will be in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA), the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development (AOAD), the Arab Center for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands (ACSAD), the Association of Agricultural Research Institutions in the Near East and North Africa (AARINENA), the International Network for the Development of Date Palm and Date Production in the Middle East and North Africa (IDPGN), and the UAE Friends of Palm Society (DPFS), as part of the cooperation between the two brotherly countries for this purpose.

This noble initiative from His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President of the State, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Presidential Affairs of the UAE, reaffirms the strong relations between the United Arab Emirates and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. It highlights the pioneering role of the UAE in supporting the agricultural sector, especially in the field of date palm cultivation. It also underscores the prestigious status of the award and its constructive role in developing and promoting the date palm sector on an Arab and international level.

Prof. Dr. Abdelouahhab Zaid
Secretary-General of the Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation