The Western Region Development Council (WRDC) - the central coordinating body leading development and promoting opportunity in Al Gharbia, the Western Region of Abu Dhabi, has announced its support for the annual Liwa Date Festival again in its sixth year. The Festival opens on 17 July and runs until 26 July. This year will also see the first date palm handicraft competition at the Liwa Date Festival, sponsored by WRDC. Competition entrants will transform the date palm leaves into traditional and contemporary designs and visitors to the festival will be able to watch and learn about this age-old Emirati tradition. A cash prize of AED 50,000 will be shared among the winners.

As one of the most important cultural events in Abu Dhabi, the Liwa Date Festival draws together genuine Emirati culture and heritage still being practiced in Al Gharbia today. The Festival brings the eyes and ears of the region - and beyond - to Al Gharbia and as such helps to raise important awareness of the region.

Mohamed Hamad Bin Azzan Al Mazrouei, Director General of WRDC, said: "We are absolutely delighted to be supporting the Liwa Date Festival again this year.

The Festival is an important event in the calendar when the Emirate of Abu Dhabi can showcase the wonderful variety and good quality of local dates produced in Al Gharbia. The Festival is also an excellent opportunity for us to cherish our rich past with exhibitions and displays of local culture and heritage. This is why WRDC is proud to sponsor the first date palm handicraft competition at the Liwa Festival." "Al Gharbia is a unique destination for business, tourism and as a place to live. The region not only offers some of the tallest sand dunes in the world, spectacular natural scenery, true culture and heritage but also 350 kilometres of untouched coastline. Together these enable the region to offer an array of different annual festivals, including the Al Gharbia International Festival - Tel Moreeb; the Al Gharbia Watersports Festival - Mirfa; the Al Dhafra Camel festival and the Al Dhafra Falconry Festival." The Liwa Date Festival takes place every year for 10 days. It is a traditional Emirati gathering which aims to facilitate the business of dates.

The Al Gharbia festivals website provide more details about all of the festivals which take place through the year in the region: www.algharbiafestivals.com

We accept Guest Posts

Download the Dubai City Guide iPhone mobile app

DubaiCityGuide.com is owned and managed by Cyber Gear