Under the patronage of Excellency Addisu Arega Kitessa, Minister of Agriculture of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, and with the support of the Erth Zayed Philanthropies Foundation, UAE Presidential Court, the Second Ethiopia International Date Palm Festival, 2026, was inaugurated, on Sunday, 20th of September 2026, in Afar region. The ceremony was attended by Excellency Awel Arba Undie, President of Afar National Regional State, Excellency Dr. Wondale Habtemu, Member of House of Federation, Member of Amhara Regional State Council and Ethiopia Agricultural Authorities, Deputy Director General , by Excellency Dr. Abdelouahhab Alboukhari Zaid, Prof., Secretary General of Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation, affiliated with Erth Zayed Philanthropies Foundation, UAE Presidential Court. Also present were members of the diplomatic corps in Ethiopia; and a large number of experts, researchers, specialists, and date producers.
The festival is organized by the General Secretariat of Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation (KIADPAI), in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture of Ethiopia, and in coordination with the UAE Embassy in Addis Ababa, and with the participation of regional and international organizations such as the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA), the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development (AOAD), the Arab Center for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands (ACSAD), the Association of Agricultural Research Institutions in the Near East and North Africa (AARINENA), the International Date Palm Network for the Development of Date Palm and Dates Production in the Middle East and North Africa (IDPGN), the Mejhoul International Network (MIN), and Date Palm Friends Society (DPFS).
From his side, Excellency Awel Arba Undie, President of Afar National Regional State, expressed his profound appreciation to the United Arab Emirates for its continued support and cooperation with Ethiopia. He particularly commended the efforts of Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation in organizing this Festival, transferring expertise and knowledge, and supporting the continued development of the date palm cultivation sector, as well as the contributions of all organizations, institutions, and partners that helped ensure the success of this initiative.
Excellency Undie also emphasized the importance of ensuring that the Festival creates a lasting impact extending far beyond its duration, contributing to greater knowledge and expertise among date growers, improved product quality, and enhanced opportunities for investment and employment, as well as a more sustainable future for Afar’s community. Where we look forward to seeing the Afar Region, with its considerable potential and the partnerships it has established, become a leading center for date palm cultivation and production in Ethiopia, and a promising model for East Africa.
During his speech, Excellency Dr. Wondale Habtemu, Member of House of Federation, Member of Amhara Regional State Council and Ethiopia Agricultural Authorities, Deputy Director General, delivered on his behalf by Excellency Minister Addisu Arega Kitessa, during the opening ceremony, affirmed that the organization of the second session of the Festival represents an important milestone that reflects the depth of the cooperative relations between Ethiopia and the UAE, and further strengthens their joint efforts to achieve food security and sustainable agricultural development.
He then added that the Festival is not only a celebration of a promising agricultural product but also serves as a strategic platform for the exchange of expertise, the establishment of partnerships, and the exploration of investment and scientific research opportunities across the date value chain, from cultivation through processing and marketing. He further stated that the Ministry of Agriculture believes that date palm trees can play a pivotal role in diversifying date palm growers’ sources of income, creating employment opportunities for youth and women, supporting agro-processing industries, and enhancing the resilience of agricultural systems to the impacts of climate change.
Excellency Dr. Abdelouahhab Alboukhari Zaid, Prof., KIADPAI Secretary General, affiliated with Erth Zayed Philanthropies Foundation, UAE Presidential Court, also affirmed that the Award’s efforts are an extension of the UAE’s vision, under the wise leadership of H.H. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE President, “May God protect him”. These efforts are also inspired by the agricultural and humanitarian legacy of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, “May God bless his soul”, particularly in advancing food security and sustainable agricultural development, strengthening international partnerships, and facilitating the exchange of knowledge and expertise.
On this occasion, Dr. A. Zaid extended his appreciation and gratitude to H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister, and Chairman of the Presidential Court, for the generous support and patronage extended to the Award, which have contributed significantly to strengthening its mission and enhancing its standing both regionally and internationally. He also expressed his sincere appreciation and gratitude to H.H. Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Court for Development and Fallen Heroes’ Affairs, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Erth Zayed Philanthropies foundation, for his support for the entity’s programs and initiatives, and for advancing their developmental and humanitarian impact, and further conveyed his deepest thanks and appreciation to H.E. Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of KIADPAI, for his ongoing support and valued guidance, which have contributed to advancing the Award’s journey and expanding its international presence.
He then added that the Ethiopia International Date Palm Festival reaching its second session is a reflection to the success and sustainability of the partnership, marking a transition from the establishment phase to a new phase focused on empowerment and value creation. He also noted that Ethiopia possesses promising potential for the development of the date palm sector, while the Afar Region is well positioned to establish a distinctive and successful model in this field.
He also highlighted the fact that the ambition extends beyond increasing date production to establishing an integrated value chain that begins at the farm and encompasses quality, processing, and packaging, through to marketing and access to markets. He expressed his aspiration for the Festival to become a leading African platform that brings together date growers, researchers, producers, investors, and policymakers, while contributing to strengthening Ethiopia’s position on the African date production map.
Honoring the Winners of the Ethiopian Dates Competition
Excellency Awel Arba Undie, President of Afar National Regional State, Excellency Dr. Wondale Habtemu, Member of House of Federation, Member of Amhara Regional State Council and Ethiopia Agricultural Authorities, Deputy Director General, and Excellency the Award’s Secretary General, attended the winner’s honoring ceremony, of the second session of the Ethiopian Dates Competition. The competition attracted date palm growers from various regions across Ethiopia, where the results were as follows:
Best Dates of variety “Harissa”
- Mohammed Mandaytu Nado (Afambo)
- Mandaytu Awita Ali (Afambo)
Best Dates of variety “Boolo”
- Muhrdin Mesud Kebir (Afambo)
- Dawd Nure Dawd (Afambo)
Best Dates of variety “Awsa”
- Alo Abdulkadir Ali (Aysaita)
Best Date Palm Farm in Ethiopia
- Nemilefan Cooperative (Afambo)
Best Date Palm Handicraft Product
- Mangoli Hand Craft Cooperative
Best Applied Scientific Research (Paper) on Date Palm in Ethiopia
Dagmawe Menelek Asfaw
- Department of Economics, College of Business and Economics, Samara University. (Determinants of Market Participation Decision and Intensity among Date Producers in Afar Region, Ethiopia: A Double Hurdle Approach)
KIADPAI’s General Secretariat awards each winner with a cash prize of USD 1,000, paid in local currency, along with a trophy and a Certificate of Appreciation. Where a number of distinguished individuals were also honored in recognition of their influential contributions to the date palm cultivation and production sector, in the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia in 2026, as follows:
- Excellency Awel Arba Undie, President of Afar National Regional State
- Excellency Addisu Arega Kitessa Minster of Agriculture and receive the trophy on his behalf Excellency Dr. Wondale Habtemu,
- Excellency Abdalla Hassan AlShamsi, Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.
The ceremony concluded with a tour of the exhibition pavilions, where attendees viewed a selection of Ethiopia’s most prominent date varieties, traditional date palm products, and the latest equipment and technologies used in date palm cultivation and processing. The exhibition attracted a large number of visitors and witnessed broad community participation. The exhibition also featured 48 pavilions, and 55 exhibitors, representing eight date-producing and processing countries: the United Arab Emirates, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Kingdom of Morocco, the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, and the Republic of Türkiye.
