SHARJAH, 11th October, 2026 (WAM) — The Al Dhaid Date Festival 2026 is attracting strong visitor turnout, showcasing a diverse range of Emirati date varieties, date-based food products, and innovative heritage-inspired offerings from local farmers, date producers, and productive families.
Organised by the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) at Expo Al Dhaid, the festival concluded today, Sunday, bringing together leading date palm growers, agricultural experts, and home-based businesses involved in the sector from across the UAE.
This year’s edition features a diverse selection of local date varieties, including rare dates, date molasses, food blends, and homemade sweets inspired by traditional Emirati recipes. These traditional sweets are being developed through modern preparation and presentation techniques while preserving their core ingredients. The displays also include a range of other agricultural and food products.
This diversity underscores the festival’s role as a platform providing farmers, agricultural businesses and productive families with direct access to consumers and traders, helping increase the commercial value and market potential of locally produced dates. It also contributes to reinforcing the position of date palms and dates within the agricultural and food production system.
Alaa Ezzat, owner of “Ruh Al Turath”, said the company is showcasing a diverse selection of Emirati dates at the Al Dhaid Date Festival 2026, including Abu Maan, Khalas and Um Al Dahn, as well as rare varieties and locally produced Emirati date molasses.
He noted that the packaging designs draw inspiration from Emirati heritage, particularly traditional Sadu patterns, reflecting the company’s approach to connecting locally produced goods with the UAE’s cultural identity through distinctive product presentation.
Meanwhile, Saeed Khalfan Al Mazrouei, representing “Wadi Al Helo” farm, showcased a diverse range of date varieties and date-based products, including date molasses and assorted food blends, alongside agricultural crops such as wheat, maize and barley. He said that the farm’s pavilion features a broad mix of dates and agricultural produce, noting that the festival provides an important platform to introduce visitors to the date varieties and crops the farm produces.
Furthermore, Sarah bint Mohammed, founder of “Athar Bakery” in Khorfakkan, is showcasing her “Rangina Cheesecake”, which reimagines the traditional Emirati rangina dessert in a contemporary format.
She noted that her home-based business was launched six years ago, with a focus on developing date-inspired products while retaining rangina’s essential ingredients: dates, flour, Arabic ghee, cardamom and saffron. The project aims to combine authentic traditional flavours with innovative presentation techniques that cater to different age groups.
Amna Hashem Al Shamsi is also showcasing a diverse selection of homemade food products made from dates, most notably date molasses and homemade cakes. Her display also includes traditional products such as Arabic ghee, Arabic spices, Arabic coffee and dried black lime (loomi).
Her participation highlights the diversity of products offered by productive families, demonstrating how dates can be used to prepare homemade confectionery and other food products, complemented by products rooted in Emirati culinary traditions.
Source: Emirates News Agency