141 research papers and 71 scientific posters from 42 countries to be presented at the 7^th International Date Palm Conference

H.E. Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayn: Khalifa International Award is a platform and forum for international partnerships, aiming towards the development of date palm cultivation sector.

H.E. Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayn, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation, expressed his appreciation for the high care received by the Award under the wise leadership of H.H. Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, “May God protect him”, guidance of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and continuous support of H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Presidential Affairs, the first supporter of date palm cultivation. This made the Award take its leading position at the Arab and international levels, and contributed to strengthening the UAE's role in serving date palm cultivation and agricultural innovation around the world.

The Award’s General Secretariat’s efforts were highly appreciated, where it became a platform and center of international partnerships, aiming toward the development of date palm cultivation sector.

This was confirmed by Dr. Abdelouahhab Zaid, Secretary General of Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation, through his speech during the press conference held on Monday, 14th February,  2022, at Emirates Palace hotel, in Abu Dhabi, in the presence of Dr. Ghaleb Hadrami, Vice Chancellor of the United Arab Emirates University, and Dr. Helal Humaid Saed Al Kaabi, Member of the Board of Trustees, Secretary General of the Abu Dhabi Council for Quality and Conformity, in which the names of the winners of Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation in its 14th session, were announced. As well as the winners of the Outstanding and Innovative Farmers in the UAE Award, in its Fourth session. Further details on the 7th International Date Palm Conference, were also announced.  The Award’s Secretary General then emphasized the fact that we are proud of the high level reached by the Award during its 14 sessions, thanks to the great confidence and guidance of H.E. Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, Chairman of the Award’s Board of Trustees.

Winners of Khalifa International Award

Winners of the 14th session of Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation were selected in accordance with the international standards and mechanisms used, and based on the report submitted by the Award’s Scientific Committee, and the approval of H.E. Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, Chairman of the Award’s Board of Trustees, where the results were as follows:

Distinguished Innovative Studies and Modern Technology category (Equally Between):

1. Dr. Emmanuelle Jacquin – Joly: French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment / Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences of Paris (iEES-Paris) / France
2. Pheromone receptor of the globally invasive quarantine pest of the palm tree, the red palm weevil (Rhynchophorus ferrugineus).

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1. Dr. Ibtisam Rashid Al Harrasi / Ministry of Agricultural, Fisheries Wealth & Water Resources / Directorate General of Agricultural & Livestock Research / Sultanate of Oman
2. A novel tonoplast (Na+/H+) antiporter gene from date palm (PdNHX6) confers enhanced salt tolerance response in Arabidopsis

Pioneering Development and Productive Projects category (Equally Between):

1. Zayed Higher Organization for People of Determination / UAE
2. People of Determination Farm Project: Integrated Project for Sustainable Organic Agricultural and Livestock Production by The Hands of People of Determination

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1. International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA) / UAE
2. Expo Live Project: “From Desert Farm to Fork: Value chain development for innovative halophyte - based food products” Timeframe: 2019-2021

Pioneering and Sophisticated Innovations Serving the Agricultural Sector category

(Equally Between):

1. Dr. Abdulla Hamad Saeed Aljenaibi / UAE.
2. EARLY DETECTION SYSTEM FOR RED PALM WEEVIL (RPW) USING AI & MACHINE LEARNING."

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1. Tarek Ben Abidine / Arabian Net for Engineering Services L.L.C / UAE
2. Modern Technical Methods in the Field of Drying, Moisturizing and Post-Harvest Processing Methods for Dates

Influential Figure in the Field of Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation category

(Equally Between):

1. Dr. Abdullah Mohammed Saif Al-Sadi / Sultanate of Oman

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1. Mr. Anwar Helal Abdullah Haddad / Kingdom of Jordan

A quantum leap and big steps

The Award’s Secretary General also added that the Award has accomplished great achievements since its forming, under the blessing of H.H. Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, “May God protect him”, where we are honored to hold the name of His Highness, and this has placed a great responsibility on us to take it to wider horizons, and to achieve leadership, and to become the first Award of its kind in the world. Also following the guidance of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and support of H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Presidential Affairs, the first supporter of date palm cultivation, and continuous follow up of H.E. Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayn, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, Chairman of the Award’s Board of Trustees.

Dr. Abdelouahhab Zaid, Award’s Secretary General, congratulated the winners, stressing on the fact that the winners of the Award’s various categories are an added value, contributing to the development of the date palm sector and agricultural innovation across the world, and hoping that the Award will receive more participations in its next sessions to serve this sector and promote it at all levels.

Winners of the UAE Local Award

From his side, Dr. Helal Humaid Saed Al Kaabi, member of the Award’Board of Trustees, pointed out that the Distinguished and Innovative farmers Award in the UAE, is organized by the Award’s General Secretariat, in cooperation with Al Foah company. Where during its Fourth session, it attracted a group of distinguished international farm owners, with a total number of 134 participants, who have the best and finest date palm varieties in the United Arab Emirates. The Award focuses on five categories, where the winners were determined in accordance with the criteria and mechanisms set, and based on the report of the Technical Committee for Farm Evaluation by technical experts representing the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, the United Arab Emirates University, Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority, Al Foah company, where the results were as follows:

Small Size Farm Category

1. First place: Ghanem Sultan Ahmed Ghanem Al Suwaidi
2. Second place: Aisha Abdullah Juma Ba Haroun Al Ali

Average Size Farm Category

1. First place: Mubarak Mohammed Miftah Al Shamsi
2. Second place: Fatima Musallam Mohammed Al-Khaili

Over Average size farm category

1. First place: Saif Sayah Salem Al Mansouri
2. Second place: Salwa Khalfan Hamid Al Mansouri

Large Size farm category

1. First place: Saeed Rashid Abdullah Al Hammoudi
2. Second place: Matar Ali Miftah Mohammed Al Shamsi

Innovative Farmer Category

1. Rashid Sultan Hamad Massoud Al-Ariani

7th International Date Palm Conference

Dr. Ghaleb Al Hadrami, Vice Chancellor of the United Arab Emirates University, chairman of the Scientific Committee of the 7th International Date Palm Conference, to be held at Emirates Palace hotel in Abu Dhabi from, 14th – 16th March 2022, expressed his appreciation to all participants in the conference, where  the scientific committee reviewed all submitted papers, representing 141 scientists,  in accordance with the technical requirements adopted at international conferences, in addition to 71 scientific posters, and 264 attendees.

Dr. Hadrami also added that the 7th International Date Palm Conference includes seven key sessions, on the first day Monday, 14th March, 2022 (afternoon) the first main session will be held dedicated to decision makers with the participation of nine ministers and directors of international organizations. Six other scientific sessions distributed on the second and third day of the conference are as follows: on the second day Tuesday, 15th March, 2022, will have 4 scientific sessions with 80 lectures distributed as follows: a session on the Mejhoul variety, with 19 lectures, a session on the Red Palm Weevil, with 26 lectures, a session on Tissue culture laboratories and biotechnology with 10 lectures, and a session on the diseases and pests of date palms with 25 lectures. On the third day, Tuesday, 16th March 16, 2022, we will have two scientific sessions of 61 lectures, distributed as follows: a session on the Agricultural techniques and practices of date palms, presented in 13 lectures, and a plenary session on date palm cultivation and production in which 48 lectures are distributed.