ABU DHABI, 16th October, 2026 (WAM) -- The Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA) is participating in the fifth Al Dhafra Dates Festival and Auction, taking place from 16th to 25th October in Zayed City, Al Dhafra Region, to showcase initiatives aimed at advancing sustainable agriculture and strengthening food security.
Organised by the Abu Dhabi Heritage Authority, the festival brings together farmers, livestock breeders, beekeepers and agricultural producers.
The event provides a platform to showcase date palms, dates and national agricultural products, while encouraging farmers and producers to improve quality and exchange expertise in date palm cultivation and production.
The event features 22 competitions offering 180 prizes, including contests for dates, honey, cooking, date packaging, drawing and photography, alongside daily dates auctions and cultural and heritage activities.
During the festival, ADAFSA is showcasing its new corporate identity and the Agricultural Transformation Strategy for the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, which aims to build a more productive, sustainable and resilient agricultural sector through innovation, advanced technologies and efficient resource management.
It is built on five pillars: Self-Sufficient & Productive, Resource Efficient, Resilient, Safe & Secure, Tech-Enabled, and Financially-Enabled.
The strategy targets an increase in self-sufficiency in staple food commodities from 30 percent to 70 percent by 2040, raising the agricultural sector's contribution to Abu Dhabi's gross domestic product to AED34.6 billion, reducing irrigation water consumption by 49 percent and increasing the proportion of farms using advanced agricultural technologies to 70 percent.
It includes 13 programmes covering agricultural productivity, water and energy efficiency, soil management, food waste reduction and the adoption of artificial intelligence and advanced technologies.
The date palm sector occupies a central position in the Agricultural Transformation Strategy, given its economic importance and its role in strengthening food security and promoting the sustainable use of resources.
Therefore, the strategy includes an ambitious programme to restructure date palm farms through the gradual replacement of low-productivity, water-intensive trees. This approach will help improve production efficiency, enhance date quality and strengthen the economic viability of farms. The programme includes planting 400,000 palm trees of high-quality, high-productivity varieties to generate greater economic returns and market value, promote sustainable water use, and maintain Abu Dhabi’s leading position in date production.
ADAFSA is also promoting the Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Agricultural Excellence Award, which encourages farmers, livestock breeders and beekeepers to adopt sustainable practices. The Authority is highlighting the award's Post-Winning Programme, which provides training, professional development, intellectual property protection and marketing opportunities to help winners expand their projects.
In the beekeeping sector, ADAFSA is showcasing the recently launched Abu Dhabi Honey Programme, which comprises 17 initiatives aimed at improving honey quality, developing the Emirati bee strain, supporting beekeepers and strengthening research, certification, investment and exports.
The Authority is also presenting its vision to develop veterinary services, strengthen animal disease prevention and surveillance, and introduce smart systems for diagnosis, monitoring and early warning to improve livestock health and biosecurity.
Another initiative highlighted at the festival is the On-farm Economic Activities Initiative, which allows farm owners to undertake 145 approved economic activities alongside agricultural and livestock production, helping diversify income and improve financial sustainability.
ADAFSA said the initiatives form part of its broader efforts to modernise agriculture, protect agricultural and livestock investments and strengthen the sustainability of food supply chains in Abu Dhabi.