The date palm has been a companion to the Emirates at all times since ancient times
The Blessed Tree from the Heart of the Desert to the UNESCO Files
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan shows interest and knowledge in agriculture "Liwa - July 24, 1979."
The National Archives
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan during his tour in the Western Region «August 1986».
The National Archives
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«Memory of the Nation»
A weekly page provided by "Emirates Today", in cooperation with the "National Archives", affiliated with the Ministry of Presidential Affairs, with the aim of introducing the way life in the Emirates before the federation, and during its early beginnings, and the great effort made by the founding fathers of the state for its establishment, and linking it to what the UAE leaders achieve today And her sons from the achievements witnessed by the world.
The month of September of each year witnesses the celebration of the Arab Palm Day, which corresponds to September 15, and it is one of several occasions that the Arab person has devoted to celebrating the mother tree, as an expression of the esteem and respect he has for her, and the favor he owes in his life throughout the ages, for she is a companion The life that provides him with supplies from its fruits, and housing from its fronds and stems, and from it he used to make many tools that he used in his daily life, and that is why it was known as "the blessed tree."
The date palm is one of the oldest fruit trees in the world and in the region, and it was closely linked to the Arab and Islamic civilization, as the date palm and palm trees were mentioned in many verses of the Qur’an, which dealt with the characteristics of this tree and the features of its fruits, which are considered a complete meal, which includes many nutrients that the body needs People are rich in sugars, which are a main source of energy as well as vitamins. Dates also contain an adequate amount of fat, protein and fibers important to human health, and at the same time they are devoid of cholesterol.
Some researchers mention that about 800 benefits have been recorded that a person can benefit from from the date palm.
The Palm in the Emirates
The date palm occupies a very special place in the Emirates, as it is the companion of the Emirates at all times since ancient times, as studies indicate that the date palm cultivation date back to about 5,000 years, as archaeologists recorded its existence, and found the nucleus of its fruits in the archaeological sites in which they searched Including the Al-Ain region, which was historically known as “Tawam”, and it used to have date palm orchards, and it relied on water for irrigation from aflaj.
The date palm received special attention from the late founding father Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, may God rest his soul, who took great care of agriculture, set ambitious plans to expand the agricultural area, provide an advanced irrigation system, encourage farmers, and provide all the needs that help them develop their production. And he expressed this belief in the importance of agriculture in his famous saying: "Give me agriculture that guarantees you a civilization."
Sheikh Zayed, may God have mercy on him, also ordered that trees be planted on both sides of modern roads, which were paved and paved, and after researching and studying the nature of the region, they found that the best trees and the best fit for the soil and climate of the Emirates are date palms. Thousands of trees were planted from them, and Sheikh Zayed's policy bore fruit. May God have mercy on him, after there were no less than two million palm trees in the country, following the declaration of the federation, and it was the largest orchard in Al Ain, according to what Sheikh Zayed's first agricultural advisor, Abdul Hafeez Khan, mentions in his book "Fifty Years in the Al Ain Oasis", issued by The National Archives, the number of date palm trees jumped in 24 years to more than 40 million in 1995, while in 2000 their number reached 47 million trees, the estimated crop value of about two billion dirhams, according to the yearbook issued in that year by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries.
The full credit for this increase is due to this great man's love for that tree, and his belief in the great benefit of its fruits for humans and animals.
More than 38 million palm trees were planted by hand in the next 24 years, and several millions of them were planted along highways in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.
As a result of the UAE’s adherence to this wise policy, the number of palm trees continued to increase steadily, which qualified it to enter the Guinness Book of Records in 2009, as the richest country in the world in the number of date palm trees, as it was estimated at that time at more than 40 million.
Constant interest
The number of date palms increased to reach 42 million, including 33 million in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and 8.5 million palm trees in the orchards of the city of Al Ain, according to the official website of the United Arab Emirates University, and the UAE's interest in palms was reflected in the launch of several projects that aim to develop its cultivation and turn it into an element. Important in the local industry and economy, the date palm tissue culture laboratory was established in February 1989 as one of the units of the United Arab Emirates University.
In 1993 a new building was established with modern specifications and with advanced and integrated equipment, and with a capacity sufficient to produce hundreds of thousands of palm seedlings, and the laboratory gained an international position as one of the largest laboratories for commercial palm proliferation.
The International Date Palm Network was also established, as the United Arab Emirates is the center for this network, and it aims to enhance technical cooperation between all dates producing countries, in addition to contributing to achieving development goals, such as enhancing food security, protecting the environment, and achieving additional income for residents. Arid and semi-arid regions of dates producing countries.
On March 20, 2007, the Khalifa International Award for Date Palm was established, and the award was designed in appreciation of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the State, for the blessed tree, and the workers in the date palm sector.
In December of last year, the efforts of the UAE and other Arab countries in the area of interest in Arab heritage culminated in the registration of the date palm file in the representative list of intangible cultural heritage of «UNESCO», where the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi, sponsored by the organization Education, Culture and Science (ALECSO) affiliated with the League of Arab States, with the file of nominating the Palm for registration in UNESCO as a joint Arab file in the name of 14 Arab countries.
• Sheikh Zayed was personally supervising the cultivation of palm trees, and he ordered the cultivation of the old Airport Road with 600 palm trees.
• The number of date palms increased to reach 42 million, of which 33 million were in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and 8.5 million were in the orchards of Al Ain.
• September 15, Arab Palm Day.
• 800 health benefits were recorded for the palm.
• 1989 Palm Tissue Cultivation Laboratory was established.
Palm and roses
The late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, may God rest his soul, personally supervised the cultivation of date palms and other types of trees.
It is reported that he ordered the cultivation of the old airport road with 600 palm trees of the type "salvation - Lulu", to be the first street to plant with this number of palms, then he ordered the planting of trees and roses to extend to the Beach Palace, where the streets, parks, homes, schools, and others were decorated.
Palm oases
In 2015, the FAO announced the addition of two date palm oases in the UAE to the ecosystems, which the organization officially recognizes are important at the international level, as they are living repositories of genetic resources, biological diversity and cultural heritage.
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