The scorching summer is back to the UAE and as the temperatures continue to rise, the desert palm trees regain life and fuel heated contests among local farmers boasting about the beauty of their date fruits. Hundreds of UAE farmers will gather again in the western border town of Liwa on July 12 with their first dates to be plucked this year for their annual event involving the “best and most beautiful” palm fruits. The 10-day event, which had been moved ahead four days for the first time, is not just for showing beautiful local date output but to keep “the national culture and tradition alive”, according to a culture official. Scores of types of date fruit will be displayed in the event, which also includes folklore songs and dances, the festival manager Obaid Al Mazroui said. “Only home-grown date fruits are allowed in the festival and only those grown by the farmer himself are allowed to take part,” he said. “This event is not just a contest for the best dates but to maintain our tradition and heritage…it is also intended to encourage UAE farmers to look after their date trees and plant more…this is a very important cultural event.” The Abu Dhabi Culture and Heritage Authority is organizing the contest, to be held on an area of 52,000 square metres in Liwa near the Saudi border. Official data showed the UAE, the second Arab economy after Saudi Arabia, has the largest number of fruit-bearing palm date trees in the region, estimated at more than 16 million trees. The surge in the number of trees from less than 10 million 15 years ago was a result of a costly palming programme as part of an overall greening drive launched by late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. Officials estimate the UAE has pumped in excess of Dh10 billion into greening and forestation projects over the past 20 years and the projects involved the fertile eastern region, western farmlands, Abu Dhabi city and other areas. By the end of 2009, the UAE’s fruit-bearing date trees accounted for nearly a fifth of the total palm trees in the Arab world, showed the figures by the Khartoum-based Arab Organization for Agricultural Development (AOAD). Saudi Arabia was second to Egypt in the region in date production and third to the UAE and Egypt in the number of fruitful palm trees.