Al Wathba Date Festival puts the spotlight on the UAE’s most iconic fruit with auctions, beauty contests and cooking battles
The Al Wathba Date Festival returns this month, bringing farmers, food lovers and heritage fans back to the desert for ten days dedicated to the UAE’s most storied fruit. Now in its third edition, the festival runs from January 15 to 24, 2026, in the Al Wathba region of Abu Dhabi.
It forms part of the Sheikh Zayed Festival and is organised by the Abu Dhabi Heritage Authority under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
The focus this year stays firmly on local date palm farmers and the future of date production in the UAE. The festival aims to support growers, encourage innovation in cultivation and protect agricultural traditions that have shaped Emirati life for generations.
Image: What’s On archive
A total of 14 competitions form the backbone of the programme, with 116 prizes valued at more than Dhs2 million. Seven of these are date beauty contests dedicated to specific varieties including Dabbas, Khalas, Fardh and Zamli. There are also competitions for date packaging, cooking, photography and live painting.
One of the key highlights is the Dates Auction, where visitors can view and bid on locally grown dates. The auction puts a spotlight on quality and craftsmanship, while giving farmers a platform to present premium harvests directly to buyers and collectors.
Beyond the competitions, the festival offers a broader heritage experience. Traditional performances and folk shows run alongside date sales outlets and a heritage souq selling products linked to Emirati culture.
At its heart, the festival reflects the cultural importance of the date palm, long seen as a symbol of generosity, resilience and food security in the UAE.
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