‘Khalifa International Award for Date Palm’ organises 2nd Ethiopia International Date Palm Festival

The Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation, supported by Erth Zayed Philanthropies of the Presidential Court, has opened the Second Ethiopia International Date Palm Festival in Semera, Afar.

The Second Ethiopia International Date Palm Festival opened on 21st September 2026 in Semera, Afar Region, organised by the Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation in cooperation with Ethiopia’s Ministry of Agriculture. The two-day event runs until 22nd September and was staged in coordination with the UAE Embassy in Addis Ababa and a number of regional and international organisations.

Attendance and institutional support

The opening ceremony took place under the patronage of Addisu Arega Kitessa, Minister of Agriculture of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. Dignitaries in attendance included Awol Arba undie, President of Afar National Regional State; Abdalla Hassan Alshamsi, UAE Ambassador to Ethiopia; and Dr. Abdelouahhab Alboukhari Zaid, Secretary-General of the Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation. Members of the diplomatic corps, together with experts, researchers, specialists and date producers, were also present.

Exhibition, participants and activities

Delegates and visitors toured exhibition pavilions showcasing prominent Ethiopian date varieties, traditional date products and the latest cultivation and processing equipment and technologies. The exhibition comprised 48 pavilions with 55 exhibitors representing seven date-producing and processing countries: the UAE, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Mauritania, Ethiopia and Türkiye. Organisers reported strong public turnout and broad community participation across the festival’s programme.

UAE backing and aims

The festival is supported by Erth Zayed Philanthropies, described in the organisers’ statement as an affiliate of the Presidential Court, and reflects the UAE’s international agricultural and food-security initiatives. Dr. Abdelouahhab Alboukhari Zaid said the Award’s work extends the UAE’s vision under the leadership of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and draws inspiration from the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan’s legacy in supporting sustainable agricultural development, knowledge exchange and international partnerships.

At the opening, the President of Afar National Regional State expressed appreciation for the UAE’s ongoing cooperation with Ethiopia and commended the Award’s role in knowledge transfer and in supporting the development of the date palm sector.

The festival provides a platform for technical exchange and market exposure for producers and processors from across the region and beyond, underscoring growing collaboration between Ethiopian authorities and UAE-based institutions in agricultural innovation.

Source: WAM