His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, visited the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives pavilion at the International Dates Conference in Abu Dhabi this week. The Emirates News Agency reported that Sheikh Mohammed received a comprehensive briefing on the research initiative focused on the Al Khuzam palm, a traditional variety known for its nutritional and medicinal properties. Project specialists outlined efforts to document the palm’s genetic profile, assess its health benefits and develop propagation methods to encourage wider planting among farmers. The visit underscored ongoing national commitments to agricultural innovation and heritage preservation.
The research project seeks to address the decline in Al Khuzam cultivation that has occurred over recent decades across UAE farmlands. According to the Emirates News Agency, the initiative examines both the palm’s resilience in arid conditions and the potential applications of its fruit in health-focused products. Officials from participating institutions detailed laboratory analysis and field trials already under way to support sustainable revival of the variety. This work builds on the UAE’s long history of date palm stewardship dating back centuries.
FAOSTAT data from the Food and Agriculture Organization places UAE date production at 333,632 tonnes in 2024, positioning the country as the tenth-largest producer worldwide. The Emirates News Agency noted that the Al Khuzam research aligns with broader sector goals to maintain diversity among more than 120 palm varieties grown nationally. Such statistics reflect steady output even as farmers face pressures from pests and environmental shifts, with the Al Khuzam project offering one avenue to strengthen resilience.
The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment has partnered with the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas on the Al Khuzam study, the Emirates News Agency reported. Joint teams are evaluating cultivation techniques that could be shared with agricultural cooperatives across the emirates. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid inquired about timelines for practical outcomes that might reach local producers. The collaboration also incorporates data from similar regional programs aimed at protecting date palms.
Related research efforts in the UAE have targeted threats such as the red palm weevil, which endangers palm plantations nationwide. Aletihad News Center figures show Abu Dhabi alone accounted for 234,079 tonnes of dates last year from more than 25,000 farms, highlighting the economic stakes involved. The Al Khuzam project complements these pest-management initiatives by focusing on genetic preservation and variety-specific advantages. Conference participants reviewed how integrated approaches can support overall sector growth.
Outcomes from the research are expected to inform future policies on rare date varieties and their role in national food security strategies. The Emirates News Agency indicated that findings will be disseminated through extension services to assist farmers interested in replanting Al Khuzam palms. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid highlighted the value of linking traditional knowledge with modern scientific methods during his tour of the pavilion. Additional displays at the conference featured progress from comparable heritage preservation projects.
