This year’s edition will feature extensive participation from palm farmers and leading date producers across the UAE, alongside key government and private-sector entities in the agricultural sector. Celebrating a decade since its launch, the festival has evolved into one of the most important annual economic, heritage-themed, and agricultural events organised by the Sharjah Chamber.

The Al Dhaid Date Festival promotes the UAE’s date palm cultivation by encouraging the adoption of best farming practices and supporting farmers in improving crop quality and productivity, thereby advancing SCCI’s broader objectives of strengthening food security and fostering sustainable agricultural growth.

This year’s festival features an expanded programme of competitions with valuable prizes awarded across several key categories. These include the “Ratb (Date) Beauty” Contest for the Khneizi, Khalas, and Shishi varieties, along with two elite categories: “General Dhaid Elite Dates” and “Special Dhaid Elite Dates” for farmers in the Northern Emirates. Other competitions target specific community groups, such as the newly launched “Ratb Al Kharaif Beauty” Contest for children and “The Most Beautiful Home-grown Dates” (for women only), in addition to the red fig and local lemon categories.

Complementing the competition programme is a comprehensive schedule of cultural and heritage events and activities, together with a series of advisory workshops and expert-led seminars on modern agricultural methods and palm tree care. These events aim to promote innovation in farming practices and encourage the adoption of advanced agricultural technologies to improve the productivity and quality of locally grown produce.

In his remarks, Mohammad Ahmed Amin Al Awadi, Director-General of SCCI, said that reaching the 10th edition of the Al Dhaid Date Festival marks a strategic milestone, reflecting the success of SCCI’s vision to transform specialised events into sustainable platforms with a lasting impact on the agricultural sector and on its integration into the emirate’s broader development agenda.

He explained that, over the past decade, the festival has become a trusted platform for date palm farmers and agricultural researchers, strengthening links between local agricultural production and markets and supporting producers in developing value-added supply chains for fresh dates and date products.

Al Awadi noted that this year’s edition has been developed with enhanced judging standards and expanded competition categories to engage a broader cross-section of participants, including date farmers from across the UAE, homemakers, and children. He said this broader participation strengthens the festival’s community impact and reinforces Al Dhaid’s position as an integrated economic and heritage destination, underscoring Sharjah’s strategic commitment to investing in its agricultural resources and preserving its authentic cultural legacy.

He added that the Sharjah Chamber will continue to expand the Al Dhaid Date Festival’s programmes and accompanying activities in the coming years to build a sustainable ecosystem to support farmers in the Central and Eastern Regions of the emirate.

The festival’s competition programme will begin on Thursday, 23 July, with the “Khneizi Dates Beauty” and “Best Local Lemon” contests. On Friday, 24 July, the programme will feature the “Al-Khalas Dates Beauty” and “Red Fig” contests, followed on Saturday, 25 July, by the “Shishi Dates” competition and the women’s “Most Beautiful Home-grown Dates” contest.

The 10th Al Dhaid Date Festival will conclude on Sunday, 26 July, with the announcement of the winners of the “General Dhaid Elite Dates” and “Northern Emirates Dhaid Elite Dates” competitions, as well as the children’s “Ratb Al Kharaif Beauty” Contest. Entries will be accepted daily from 7:00 AM to 2:00 PM, and the winners will be recognised at award ceremonies held after Maghrib prayer.

The Organising Committee of the Al Dhaid Date Festival has set out general conditions and specific participation requirements for this year’s date competitions. All entries must consist of locally produced crops from the UAE’s 2026 harvest, sourced exclusively from the participant’s own farm.

Participants must also submit dates at the optimal stage of ripeness. The dates should be free from insect infestation, dead insects, or any apparent defects, and weigh 4kg, including the harvesting basket (mikhrafa), which must be presented without suspension ropes.