Opening of the 7th International Jordanian Dates Festival in Amman 2025
Under the patronage of His Majesty King Abdullah II and with the support of the Presidential Court of the United Arab Emirates
7th International Jordanian Dates Festival 2025 kICKoFF in Amman 2025
In cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture and the Jordanian Dates Association
Under the supervision of the Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation
- Saeb Al-Khuraisat: The Jordanian Dates Festival is an Emirati-Jordanian success story that we are proud of and cherish.
- Abdul Wahab Al-Bukhari Zaid : The Development Triad: Resource Efficiency, Product Quality, and Expansion into Global Markets .
- Anwar Haddad: Jordanian dates are soaring 125% in global markets and exported to 51 nation .
Amman:(News Desk)::Under the patronage of His Majesty King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein, may God protect him, King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, and for the seventh time in a row, His Excellency Dr. Saeb Al-Khuraisat, representative of the patron of the festival, the Jordanian Minister of Agriculture, and in the presence of His Excellency Mr. Hamad Abdullah Al-Matroushi, Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in Amman, and His Excellency Professor Dr. Abdul Wahab Al-Bukhari Zayed, Secretary-General of the Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation, affiliated with the Zayed Humanitarian Legacy Foundation at the Presidential Court, witnessed the opening of the Seventh International Jordanian Dates Festival, which is organized by the General Secretariat of the Award in cooperation with the Jordanian Ministry of Agriculture and the Jordanian Dates Association. The opening ceremony was also attended by a number of representatives of international organizations, members of the diplomatic corps residing in Jordan, and a large crowd of researchers, farm owners, date producers and companies in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
Speech by His Excellency the Minister
In his speech during the opening ceremony, His Excellency the Minister affirmed that this festival came to emphasize the depth of the brotherly relations between the two countries, the United Arab Emirates and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. His Excellency also expressed his thanks to the Presidential Court of the United Arab Emirates for its continued support of the festival, as the festival was implemented based on the cooperation protocol signed in the capital, Abu Dhabi, on 16/04/2025, between the Ministry of Agriculture of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the General Secretariat of the Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation.
His Excellency added that more than 20% of the agricultural land in the Jordan Valley is planted with date palms, and Jordan exports a high percentage of its annual production, meeting the highest quality standards, to various global markets. Exports account for more than 60% of the total date production. Our date exports exceed $60 million, providing a significant economic boost to agriculture in Jordan and creating employment opportunities. Today, this sector is a leading sector, attracting investment, supporting job creation, and increasing the value of agricultural exports. .
His Excellency the Minister pointed out that the high patronage of His Majesty King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein, may God protect him, King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, for the festival for the seventh time in a row is clear evidence of the importance of the festival and an incentive for success year after year.
Award word
For his part, His Excellency Professor Dr. Abdul Wahab Al-Bukhari Zayed, Secretary-General of the Khalifa International Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation Award, affiliated with the Zayed Humanitarian Legacy Foundation, Presidential Court, affirmed during the opening of the Seventh International Jordanian Dates Festival 2025 that we are proud of the success achieved by the International Jordanian Dates Festival during seven years of cooperation between the two brotherly countries. It also came to confirm the depth of the historical bilateral relations between the two countries, under the leadership of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, and his brother, His Majesty King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein, King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, may God protect them.
He added that Jordanian dates, especially the Medjool variety, have successfully established a remarkable global presence, transitioning from a promising local product to a quality mark that meets the highest international accreditation standards. He further stated that this progress is the result of an integrated system encompassing farmers, producers, experts, and exporters, supported by a supportive legislative environment, applied scientific research, and effective national and international partnerships. .His Excellency pointed out that the next stage requires transforming the scattered successes into a unified national success story based on three main pillars The award focuses on efficient resource management, improved product quality, and expanded access to global markets. It emphasizes that the strong partnership between the award, the Jordanian Ministry of Agriculture, professional associations, the private sector, and regional and international organizations has contributed to achieving sustainable growth, enhancing the competitiveness of Jordanian dates, increasing farmers’ incomes, and positioning Jordan prominently on the global date map. .
The Association’s Word
Engineer Anwar Haddad, President of the Jordanian Dates Association (JODA), expressed In his opening remarks, on behalf of all date palm farmers in the Kingdom, he expressed sincere gratitude, appreciation, and loyalty to His Majesty the Hashemite King for his attention, care, and continuous support for the date palm sector in the Kingdom, stressing that the achievements realized today are the fruit of a wise royal vision that motivated farmers and supported the growth of this vital sector, which has become one of the pillars of the Jordanian agricultural economy.He also expressed his deep appreciation to the United Arab Emirates, represented by the Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation and its Secretary-General, His Excellency Professor Dr. Abdul Wahab Al-Bukhari Zayed, and to the Ministry of Agriculture in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and His Excellency the Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Saeb Khraisat, for their joint efforts in organizing the festival at this high level for the seventh consecutive year, in effective partnership with the Jordanian Dates Association. He also thanked His Excellency the former Minister of Agriculture, Engineer Khaled Al-Hanifat, for his efforts over the past years in supporting the success of this festival. He affirmed that the festival has, over the past years, constituted a leading national platform that has contributed to a qualitative leap in the date palm cultivation and date production sector in the Kingdom, as the sector has witnessed a remarkable expansion in cultivated areas in the Kingdom, exceeding 45,000 dunams, in addition to an increase in production to reach more than 35,000 tons of dates of high international quality.
Haddad noted that this development translated into an unprecedented surge in global demand for Jordanian dates, reaching 125% compared to previous years. This enabled Jordan to export its premium dates to more than 55 countries worldwide. As a result of this growth, the value of national date production exceeded $60 million, placing the Kingdom 11th globally in terms of export volume and 9th in terms of value.
Award achievements over seventeen years
During the opening ceremony, two documentary films were shown, the first about date palm cultivation in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the second about the achievements of the award during eighteen years (2007-2025) and the relationship of the award’s goals to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and how the award contributed to supporting these goals to enhance food security and achieve sustainable development, at the national, regional and international levels.
Honoring the winners of the seventh Jordanian Dates Competition:
His Excellency Dr. Saeb Al-Khuraisat, representative of the patron of the festival, His Majesty King Abdullah II, may God protect him, Minister of Agriculture, His Excellency Dr. Abdul Wahab Al-Bukhari Zayed, Secretary-General of the Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation, affiliated with the Zayed Humanitarian Legacy Foundation at the Presidential Court, His Excellency Mr. Hamad Abdullah Al-Matroushi, Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in Amman, and Engineer Anwar Haddad, President of the Jordanian Dates Association, honored the winners of the Jordanian Dates Competition in its seventh session 2025. The results were as follows:
1- Category: Best Production of the Medjool Variety in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan: Won by Mr. M. Mazraa Al-Khairat
2- Category: Best Production of the Barhi Variety (Dates) in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan: Won by the Jordan Riverbanks Foundation, Mr. Engineer Abdul Wali Al-Fallahat
3- The category of the best date palm farm in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan: won by Mr. Engineer Hamza Al-Adwan, owner of the Ramah Hills farm.
4- Category: Best Food Product Made from Dates in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan: Won by ( TOT COOKIES) Mr. Tariq Mansour Abdul Karim Al-Taweel.
5- Category: Best Innovative Packaging for Dates in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan: Won by Mr. Engineer Fayez Taher Fayeq Hater ( The Datery Shop) )
6- Category: Best Date Packaging Operator in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan: Won by Mr. Engineer Mohammed Al-Salamat
7- Applied scientific research on date palms in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan: Awarded to Dr. Munther Taha Al-Sadr for his research entitled ( Markers and Varietal The Complete Plastome of Majhoul Date Palm: Genomic Identification ).
8- Category: Best Innovation in the Field of Palms and Dates in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan: Won by Mr. Abdul Rahman Ali Ahmed Al-Kurdi for his innovation ( Palm Guard) )
Honoring influential figures
His Excellency, the representative of the festival’s patron, the Minister of Agriculture, honored influential figures in the date palm sector in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, including the following individuals:
- His Excellency the former Minister of Agriculture, Engineer Khaled Al-Hanifat, will receive it on his behalf through his brother, Professor and lawyer Ibrahim Al-Hanifat.
- His Excellency Mr. Ahmed Alian, owner of Alian Palm Farms.
- His Excellency Engineer Abdul Hadi Al-Fallahat, former head of the Agricultural Engineers Syndicate and CEO of Al-Qawafel Company and Palm Farms.
Signing of three cooperation agreements
Before the end of the opening ceremony, three cooperation agreements were signed between the Jordanian Dates Association and a number of relevant parties in the field of palm cultivation and date production, as follows:
1- Cooperation agreement between the Jordanian Dates Association ( JODA) ) with the Agricultural Lending Corporation, and aims to provide easy, convenient and private loans to palm farmers to enable them to increase production efficiency.
2- Cooperation agreement between the Jordanian Dates Association ( JODA) ) with the Jordanian-Chinese Agricultural Company, and includes cooperation in smart irrigation technologies, modern agricultural management, and the implementation of joint applied projects in the field of smart agriculture and pest control on palm trees.
3- Cooperation agreement between the Jordanian Dates Association ( JODA) ) with Digi Well Agritec App This relates to the carbon footprint project and carbon capture in palm farms, which contributes to enhancing environmental sustainability and opening new income opportunities for farmers within carbon markets.
Following this, His Excellency Dr. Saeb Al-Khuraisat, representative of the festival’s patron, His Excellency Mr. Hamad Abdullah Al-Matroushi, Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in Amman, and His Excellency Professor Dr. Abdul Wahab Al-Bukhari Zayed, Secretary-General of the Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation, proceeded to inaugurate the accompanying exhibition. The opening was attended by a large number of date producers and processors from the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and other participating date-producing countries. Sixty exhibitors representing ten date-producing countries (the United Arab Emirates, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the State of Palestine, the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, the United Mexican States, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Kingdom of Morocco, the Syrian Arab Republic, the Republic of Turkey, and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan) participated in the exhibition.
Festival Scientific Symposium
The 7th International Jordanian Dates Festival is accompanied by a scientific symposium featuring 20 experts and academic researchers specializing in date palm cultivation and date production from various governmental institutions and research centers across several date-producing countries. The symposium comprises three scientific sessions and an extended discussion session, with participants representing seven date-producing nations. The Secretary-General of the Award emphasized the importance of scientific research in developing the date palm and date production sector, praising the scientific efforts exerted by all relevant authorities to develop this sector in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. This development is a collaborative effort between the Jordanian Ministry of Agriculture, the Jordanian Dates Association, the Award’s General Secretariat, and relevant regional and international organizations. He added that it has become evident that developing the date palm and date production sector occupies a special priority on the comprehensive agricultural development map in several date-producing countries, particularly in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , given the sector’s increasing economic importance in enhancing food security and achieving sustainable development.
