SAN LUIS RÍO COLORADO, 30th November, 2025 (WAM) -- César Iván Sandoval Gámez, Mayor of San Luis Río Colorado, affirmed the importance of the 4th Mexico International Date Palm Festival and the expanding cooperation between the UAE and the United Mexican States in developing the palm and date sector.
He told the Emirates News Agency (WAM) that the festival serves as a leading platform bringing together producers, experts and academic institutions to enhance knowledge exchange and innovation, and to support initiatives aimed at improving production quality and expanding opportunities for international partnerships.
Lise Alschuler, President and CEO of Sonoran University of Health Sciences, said the festival is the result of cooperation between the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Sonora State University in the United Mexican States, and the Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation of the Erth Zayed Philanthropies.
She noted that this cooperation enabled the organisation of a comprehensive event that brought together the entire Mexican date industry, along with academics, students, researchers, the private sector, packaging companies and the general public.
She emphasised that this collaboration has strengthened the presence of various stakeholders across the date palm sector, expressing deep appreciation for the support provided by the Government of the UAE in enabling such festivals to take place.
Abdelouahhab Alboukhari Zaid, Secretary-General of the Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation, said the festival succeeded thanks to the efforts of all participants, including the Award’s General Secretariat, international participants, researchers, students, companies and palm producers in San Luis Río Colorado and Mexicali, Baja California.
He explained that Mexico is the world’s fourth-largest producer of Medjool dates, with 94 percent of its production concentrated in this variety, adding that Mexican dates are internationally recognised and compete with the world’s top producers in this category, noting that Mexico produces around 20,000 metric tonnes of dates annually.