The seed of the past, flourishes today The 9th Liwa Dates Festival 2013
Liwa Date Festival Tourist Brochure
Under the patronage of H.H Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Presidential Affairs
Liwa Date Festival
Liwa Date Festival has become an annual event for the lovers of heritage and traditions celebrating the Date products of the good land in Abu Dhabi. This is the 8th edition of the festival in Liwa in the western region in Abu Dhabi emirate, the green oasis living over centuries of time. Since the beginning of the festival, that’s seven years ago, the festival’s vision has been set to make palm trees and dates a symbol of originality of past and a source of goodness for present and a guarantee for the future to embody the vision of the UAE founder, late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan may he rest in peace. The 8th edition of the Liwa Date Festival is being held under kind patronage by HH Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs.
Liwa Date Festival has become an annual event for the lovers of heritage and traditions celebrating the Date products of the good land in Abu Dhabi. This is the 8th edition of the festival in Liwa in the western region in Abu Dhabi emirate, the green oasis living over centuries of time. Since the beginning of the festival, that’s seven years ago, the festival’s vision has been to make palm trees and dates a symbol of originality of past and a source of goodness for present and a guarantee for the future to embody the vision of the UAE founder, late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan may he rest in peace.
The 8th edition of the Liwa Date Festival is being held under kind patronage by HH Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs. The festival in its heritage, cultural, and economic dimensions supports Abu Dhabi’s efforts to make Liwa and western region prominently noticeable on global tourist map.
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Objectives
• To Continue on the steps of the UAE late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan may he rest in peace, with regard to the agricultural development, and under guidance of HH Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan President of the UAE May God protect him, and Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Vice Supreme Commander of Armed Forces, with regard to development of palm trees growing in the UAE. • To Promote awareness among UAE farmers on the best and modern ways of irrigation and taking care of the palm trees properly so that such trees can be more feasible economically. • To Encourage farmers to give more attention to quality of Dates. • To Improve the kinds of dates in the UAE. • To Hold an annual festival to be a platform for exchanging experiences among farmers toward the best results and highest levels of quality. • To Set the Date Festival as a day in the UAE tourist calendar. • To Celebrate Liwa city as it represents heritage and cultural place bridging present with the past.
Liwa the Capital of Civilization and Oasis of History Liwa Oasis is located in the western region of Abu Dhabi emirate, constituting an arch from west south to east south in the heart of Al Dhafra territory, with width ranging between 40 – 50 miles, and with 52 main areas including (Al Nashash, Hafeef, Katoof, AL Hela, and western Mariah). The sand dunes heights reach 25 – 40 meters above sea level, with different shapes including crescent and long ones. Liwa has a large number of castles and forts out of which are known till now fifteen castles and forts existing in the oasis. Some of them need more exploration for further discovery, while others are existing till now under maintenance and restoration works. These include Dhafeer Castle built by Bani Yass; Mukeb Castle built by Sheikh Sultan Bin Zayed, Al Ghareeb, Al Tark, and Khanor Castle built by Bani Yass in the first period of Shakhboot’s reign; Haweel Castle or Um Hesn Castle built by Al Manaseer in the period 1883 -1890; Katoof Castle built by Bani yass; Nameel (Naheel) Castle built by Bu Flah; and Hmar in Butain Castle which is the oldest fort in Liwa with few remains; Al Meel Castle; Al Ad Castle built by Al Bu Munzer fifty years ago; Al Jabanna Castle, in addition to Western Mariah Castle built by Bloushee fifty to sixty years ago under order by Sheikh Hamdan Bin Zayed; and Al Heela Castle which only now has its cylinder-shaped tower.
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www.liwadatesfestival.ae