The General Secretariat of Khalifa International Date Palm Award has announced the opening of the nominations for its eighth session in 2016 in five categories, starting from June 1st to October 30th 2015.

The announcement was made at a press conference held by the General Secretariat of the Award at the Emirates Palace Hotel, Abu Dhabi yesterday in the presence of Dr. Abdelouahhab Zaid, Secretary-General of the Award, and Dr. Helal Humaid Al Kaabi, head of administrative and financial committee, and a crowd of representatives of local and international media, and a large number of interested people and researchers in date palm sector.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Abdelouahhab Zaid, Secretary-General of the Award said: "The Khalifa International Date Palm Award since its inception has made significant growth over seven sessions thanks to its patron President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, as well as the great support for the award by His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and follow-up and attention of H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, who have given the date palm sector in general, and Khalifa International Date Palm Award in particular great attention and special care."

He explained that the Secretariat of the Award and the Scientific Committee has completed all the preparations and the arrangements and special programmes to start receiving applications under the directives of Sheikh Nahyan Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Khalifa International Date Palm Award, and under the conditions and standards in each category.

Dr. Zaid extended invitation to all farmers and producers, researchers, experts, academics and specialists, scholars, and all lovers of the date palm in the world-tree, to participate and submit their applications for transparent competition and achieve the first positions in all award categories; namely: Personal Excellence Category, the Category of Best Development Project, the Category of Better Technology, Talented Producers Category, and the Category of Outstanding Research and Studies in the field of date palm cultivation and dates production.

The Secretary-General expressed his confidence that participation and competition will be broader and more in the eighth session of the Khalifa International Date Palm Award in all categories compared to the achievements and the polarisation of the main researchers, experts and farmers on the Arab and international levels during the past sessions as a first prize specialised in the world.

For his part, Dr. Helal Humaid Al Kaabi, Head of the Administrative and Financial Committee, said the UAE's participation grew year after year, which confirmed the position of the blessed tree in UAE, and the care and great attention given by the wise leadership of the agriculture sector in general and especially to palm sector farming, and the keenness of researchers, farmers and producers to actively participate and contribute to the development of this sector.

Dr. Helal Humaid Al Kaabi also expressed confidence that the award will have in its eighth session larger number of posts in each category, and to achieve the objectives of the award in the development of scientific research and specially in the palm field, and to encourage labours in the farming of the date palm sector to promote this sector in order to preserve the blessed tree on its strategic food and cultural significance to the all peoples.

Khalifa International Date Palm Award gives prizes to the top ranking winners of its five categories. The first winner gets Dh 300,000 and runner-up gets Dh 200,000 with trophies and appreciation certificates.
Source: WAM