€£$
по-русскиen Español (pronto)
enter
1511things to do
in the world
117things to do
in Emirates
27things to do
in Abu Dhabi

Visit the Date Festivalin Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

#5of 27 things to doin Abu Dhabi

Oddviser

adventure's step-by-step
recipes & lifehacks
How to ride a board on volcano in Nicaragua?How to walk inside the active volcano in Greece?How to feed flying dogs in the jungles of Thailand?How to cycle along the Great Wall of China?How to swim in the famous Trevi Fountain in Rome?How to ride a kayak along the canals of Venice?How to walk on the roofs of skyscrapers in Dubai?
Join usit's more fun together :)
Appreciate the taste of two hundred varieties of dates at the picturesque and really grand event the Date Festival in Liwa oasis.
How to visit the Date Festival in Abu Dhabi
The Date Festival is a grand event in the UAE that brings together tens of thousands of visitors and hundreds of exhibitors from around the world every year. This event is held annually at different oases of the emirates, but the largest is rightly the Date Festival at Liwa oasis in Mazeyra. This important cultural event of the UAE is included in the program for conservation of the country's cultural and historical heritage.

The event lasts about seven days, when visitors can appreciate the incredible atmosphere of the festival, permeated by delicate aroma of oriental sweets. In the endless pavilions you will see and try varieties of dates, which you couldn't even imagine. Here you can take part in an auction, which main lot is rare species of dates costing more than $1500 per kilogram.

There is a "fruit beauty contest", where ripe mangoes and fragrant lemons grown in the Emirates’ gardens compete with dates. According to the contest results, winners in different categories are awarded 220 prizes worth a total of six million dirhams!

Along with the numerous recreational activities, the festival also offers educational programs intended to inform visitors about the UAE's traditions related to date palm. After all, it is considered an important symbol of the history and culture of the Arab people.

For ancient people, date palm was a symbol of fertility. Its leaves were used to build shelters for cattle, date stones - to feed animals, and wood - to make fire. For many years, dates were the main and only food for some people. Therefore, the Emirates still have a tradition to welcome guests with aromatic coffee and dates. Today, these fruits are used to make extremely delicious sweets: jams, juices, honey and candies, while dates themselves can be eaten both fresh and dried or sun-dried.

The Date Festival welcomes visitors from Monday to Sunday, 04.00 pm to 10.00 pm.

Where to do?

#2Liwa oasis in Abu DhabiLiwa oasis

This place attracts travelers with a possibility to visit the Date Festival. Also the landscapes of Liwa oasis are so unusual that they create a sense of a true mirage.

Reviews

Guest01 April 2023

More things to do in Abu Dhabi

#18Jump over the waves on a jet ski in Abu DhabiJump over the waves on a jet skioddviser

Go for a fast and comfortable ride – drive a jet ski on the waves of the Gulf and don’t worry if you have no experience in driving a personal watercraft.

200Hiltonia Beach Club
#24Go to the Qasr Al-Hosn Festival in Abu DhabiGo to the Qasr Al-Hosn FestivalSuper Сrabe

The Festival of History and Culture of the Emirates annually draws thousands of spectators.

10Qasr Al Hosn fort
#17Take a bike ride along the Corniche promenade in Abu DhabiTake a bike ride along the Corniche promenadeoddviser

Rent a bicycle and ride along one of the longest seafront promenades in the Middle East.

30The Corniche
#7Try pearl diving in Abu DhabiTry pearl divingoddviser

The attraction is located in the Yas Waterworld and has no analogues in the world. You will try yourself as a pearl diver.

149Yas Waterworld Waterpark
#3Take safari on Sir Bani Yas in Abu DhabiTake safari on Sir Bani Yasoddviser

On a safari on Sir Bani Yas you will meet rare animals and birds face to face - cheetahs, Arabian oryxes, giraffes and many others.

280
#26Go up the Falling tower in Abu DhabiGo up the Falling towerMickey Collins

A skyscraper Capital Gate in Abu Dhabi is called the Falling Tower. Its slope is 4.5 times more than a slope of Pisan Tower.

45The Capital Gate
#8Go to Formula One Grand Prix in Abu DhabiGo to Formula One Grand Prixoddviser

The roar of motors, 55 thousand onlookers and an incredible track – you have to see it with your own eyes!

2516Yas Island
#16Take a walk through the old bazaar in Abu DhabiTake a walk through the old bazaaroddviser

Abu Dhabi is growing, changing and improving, but some places remain almost unchanged. One of them is Old Souk, where you can buy authentic souvenirs.

FREEThe Old Souq
#23Drive a race car along the Formula 1 circuit in Abu DhabiDrive a race car along the Formula 1 circuitTouchstone

Formula 1 Grand Prix takes the Yas Marina Circuit only a few days a year.

1750Yas Marina Race Track
#1Visit the Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Abu DhabiVisit the Sheikh Zayed Mosqueoddviser

It is a symbol of original Islamic architecture, an example of the unity of all nations and religions.

FREE
#14Have dinner in roller coaster restaurant in Abu DhabiHave dinner in roller coaster restaurantoddviser

Here you can not only have a good meal but also see how dishes go down the roller coasters.

Yas Mall
Know more things to do?Guest

Share your ideas of what to do in Abu Dhabi with other travellers — together we'll make our travellings more interesting!

Photo credit © http://www.thenational.ae