The competition also provides an opportunity to capture the details of the harvest season and its unique beauty and engage with the festival through artistic works that reflect the area's  identity and rich cultural heritage.

Promoting local heritage

The competition forms part of the club's efforts to support cultural and community initiatives that preserve and promote local heritage while providing creative platforms for community members and talented photographers to express their connection to the region and its traditions.

It also seeks to encourage the production of visual content documenting elements of Emirati identity and highlighting the Central Region's deep-rooted agricultural and cultural legacy.

Preserving Emirati identity

Khalifa Mubarak Dalmook Al Ketbi, Chairman of the Cultural Committee at Al Dhaid Cultural and Sports Club, stated that the competition is valued as it reflects the club's commitment to preserving the UAE's heritage and strengthening its presence in the country's cultural and community landscape.

Al Ketbi said the initiative aims to spot light on the Central Region's authentic agricultural heritage and the social and cultural values associated with it, reinforcing national identity and reflecting the enduring bond between the Emirati people, the palm tree and the land.

Three competition categories

Al Ketbi said the competition offers an open creative platform for photographers to present artistic interpretations of the dates season and its distinctive features through innovative visual storytelling, while encouraging local talent, discovering emerging creatives and inspiring the community to document Emirati heritage in a contemporary artistic style.

He added that the competition features three main categories. The first focuses on rutab as both a seasonal fruit and an agricultural symbol deeply rooted in Emirati society, while the second and third categories centre on the palm tree and its relationship with the landscape by highlighting its presence in natural and heritage settings, as well as its connection to historical landmarks and the environmental features of Sharjah's Central Region.