ABU DHABI — To be held under the patronage of Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister of the UAE, Minister of Presidential Affairs and Chairman of Abu Dhabi Agriculture & Food Safety Authority, Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC) announced the launch of the 5th Edition of the Abu Dhabi Date Palm Exhibition (ADDPE), which is organized by ADNEC in collaboration with the Khalifa International Date Palm Award and Agricultural Innovation (KIDPA). The industry leading event will be held on Dec. 9-11 as part of SIAL Middle East (SIAL ME).

Featuring all kinds of dates, the exhibition is the only and exclusive exhibition of its kind promoting the fruit. Supported by Ministry of Presidential Affairs (MOPA) and KIDPA, ADDPE serves as a dedicated platform for date trading, which is a key element of this year’s SIAL ME, the exclusive regional food, beverage and hospitality trade event and ideal platform to offer valuable investment opportunities for food, beverage and hospitality companies.

ADDPE provides the biggest international platform for exhibitors to showcase their products and boost their presence in the global market. This year, the 5th edition of the exhibition will feature more than 87 exhibitors specializing in date palm fruit products from 12 countries and 3,000 trade buyers from the Middle East region.

The Date Fruit Auction will return for its 2nd edition and will be organised by KIDPA and supported by Liwa Dates Factory, showcasing a wider variety of dates from all over the Middle East region. While The Hosted Buyer Program will allow a private dedicated space for hosted buyers to have business meetings with a selected batch of exhibitors that match their sourcing requirements in structured 'Speed Networking Sessions' along with giving a place for exhibitors to meet and discuss their requirements.

Dr. Abdul Wahab Zayed, Agriculture Consultant at the Ministry of Presidential Affairs and Secretary General of the Khalifa International Date Palm Award and Agricultural, said: “We are excited to be a supporting ADDPE and expect this year’s event to be another successful opportunity for influencing the purchasing of dates for large scale importers and key retailers. ADDPE provides the perfect opportunity for suppliers to meet with an array of date providers from different countries including the UAE.

“This year’s event is set to attract serious dates and palm buyers with over 87 exhibitors from 12 countries and over 3,000 trade visitors. Country pavilions including UAE, Jordan, Sudan, Egypt, Morocco, Palestine, Tunisia, Libya, India, Mauritania, KSA and Oman will be present this year. ADDPE has positioned itself as a key industry event for the date palm fruit across the region, attracting large numbers of key buyers looking to purchase dates,” he added.

The Abu Dhabi Date Palm Exhibition also features "Dates Village", which offer local farmers and producers of dates an opportunity to compete with international players by showcasing the finest Emirati dates. In addition, visitors can purchase the finest UAE dates through the "Date Fruit Auction", managed by Liwa Dates Factory with its extensive experience in organising date auctions, and under the supervision of the KIDPA.

ADDPE also highlights the economic importance of dates along with being an integral part of the UAE’s culture and heritage. The event will also showcase date factories, machinery and equipment, packing options along with manufacturers and exporters. Visitors to the event will get the opportunity to see, taste and try hundreds of varieties of dates under one roof.

ADNEC continuously seeks to increase the number of events held at Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Centre in order to boost its contribution to the economic growth of Abu Dhabi.

Now in its 10th year, SIAL ME 2019 aims to further strengthen its positioning as a platform to meet quality buyers in a trade business-friendly environment. With yet another successful event in 2018, attracting 1089 exhibitors, 30+ national pavilions and 28,324 trade attendees, SIAL Middle East continues to be the platform for food, beverage and hospitality companies to make their mark in this region. — SG