1. H.H. Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan:  We are proud of the great successes achieved by Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and agricultural innovation at both the national and international levels.
2. H.H. Jordanian Minister of Agriculture: The strategy is expected to increase the date production to 60,000 tons and the exports to 30,000 tons by 2030. It will also increase the export dates value up to 150 million Jordanian dinars and will provide 15,000 new job opportunity.

The Jordanian Ministry of Agriculture launched today Sunday the 20^th of September 2020, in cooperation with Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation, and the Jordanian Dates Association, the “Jordanian Dates cultivation and production development strategy 2020- 2030”. This strategy was set as requested by the Jordanian Ministry of Agriculture, as it received the blessing of H.H. Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, President of the Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and agricultural innovation Board of Trustees, and H.H. Dr. Saleh Kharabsheh, Minister of Agriculture, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, as launching the strategic plan which emphasizes the depth of the bilateral relations and cooperation between the two countries, under the wise leadership of H.H. Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, and His Majesty King Abdullah II Ibn Al Hussein, King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , May God Protect Them, through coordination and cooperation between the Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation’s  General Secretariat, the Jordanian Ministry of Agriculture, and the Jordanian Dates Association, aiming to enhance the Jordanian Dates market value and increasingthe production and export of the Mejhool variety, and dates in general, which will make the date production sector an important source of national income to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

H.H. Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, President of the Award’s Board of Trustees, praised the efforts made by Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and agricultural innovation in cooperation with the Jordanian Ministry of Agriculture and the Jordanian Dates Association in working together to develop the Date palm cultivation sector, production and processing of Jordanian dates. Where the great continuous success achieved by the International Festival of Jordanian Dates, had a great impact on the growth of this sector.

Furthermore, H.H. Dr. Saleh Al-Kharabsheh, Minister of Agriculture, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, highlighted the importance of the bilateral relations between the United Arab Emirates and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, which will strengthen the work cooperation in the interest of both countries. The Jordanian dates development plan set and summarized in 15 programs, is mainly targeting preparing and providing the suitable environment to expand the production, processing and exporting of dates, he added. The plan also aims to control the Red Palm Weevil, conduct applied researches, technology transfer, and establishing a national fund to develop the date palm sector. Developing a national branding plan to increase the competitiveness of the Jordanian dates locally and internationally, the expansion of the post - harvest operations workshops, rationalization of the excess dates and products, organic dates production, and the establishment of tissue culture labs are all part of the 15 development programs set.

H.H. Dr. Al Kharabsheh, also added that the strategy is expected to increase the date production to 60,000 tons and the exports to 30,000 tons by 2030.  This increase in production and exports, will increase the plantation rate. This will then increase the export dates value up to 150 million Jordanian dinars and will provide 15,000 new job opportunity.Clearing the Red Palm Weevil, the development of experienced human resources and organizations in the date palm field, the rationalization of water usage, are all positive expected outcomes to the set strategy. This will also lead to achieving the Jordanian sustainable agricultural development (2016-2025) goal, and sustainability development plan to end hunger and assure food security.

H.H. Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, President of the Award’s Board of Trustees, extended his gratitude and appreciation to H.H. Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed AlNahyan, President of the UAE, May God Protect Him, the Award’s sponsor, and to H.H. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, on his ongoing support and to H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE’s Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Presidential Affairs, on his wise directives and his continuous follow up on the Award’s achievements. We are proud of the great successes achieved by Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and agricultural innovation at both the national and international levels, added His Highness.