The UAE has given great importance to the agricultural sector in general and the date palm tree in specific to what it represents of importance in the lives of desert people, where it was the main source of food, shelter, work and life tools and part of the cultural and national identity.

The UAE has taken a leading and significant position by contributing constructively in the advancement of this sector, conserving the resources and supporting food security, and with thanks to the vision of the award's sponsor, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, and the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces through initiatives and events aimed at achieving sustainable development in accordance with international best practices.

In celebration of the special relationship that brings together the United Arab Emirates and the Republic of Sudan, and on the basis of the guidance and support of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan,

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs of the United Arab Emirates, and following the directions of of His Highness Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, Minister of Tolerance and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation, the General Secretariat of the Award is working towards achieving its strategic objectives in developing the date palm sector in the Republic of Sudan through launching a number of programs and projects to develop this sector. The first Sudan International Dates Festival in Khartoum held between the 5th and the 9th of December 2017, the first success story of the award on the land of the Republic of Sudan, and followed by the “Second Sudan International Dates Festival” from the 2nd to the 6th of October 2018. The “Third Sudan International Date Palm Festival” from the 26th - 30th November 2019 and today we celebrate with our partners in this success the “Fourth Sudan International Date Palm Festival that will be held between the 23rd to the 27th of November 2020.

As part of this promising vision, the General Secretariat of the award initiated organizing the 4th Sudan International Date Palm Festival under the patronage of His Excellency Dr. Abdullah Hamduk, The Transitional Prime Minister, and in cooperation with the success partners the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources of Sudan (MOAF), the Sudan Date Palm Friends Society (SDPFS), FAO, The International Centre for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas (ICARDA), the International Centre for Bio saline Agriculture (ICBA), the Date Palm Global Network (DPGN), The UAE Date Palm Friends Society (DPFS) and the Blessed Tree Magazine.

This support comes from His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs of the United Arab Emirates, to emphasize the strong relations between the UAE and the Republic of Sudan, and to highlight the leading role of the UAE in supporting the agricultural sector, especially in the field of date palms, also highlighting the significant and constructive role of the award in the development of the date palm sector at a regional and international level.

Dr. Abdelouahhab Zaid, Prof.
Secretary General of the Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation