Over 100 baskets of dabbas were lined up on tables, awaiting judgement for the tastiest, healthiest and the best looking date of them all. This range of date, particularly popular in Liwa sanctuary, was the very first of the 10 ratab - half ripen dates - competitors to start the 12th yearly Liwa Dates Festival.

Arranged by the Cultural Programmes and Heritage Festivals Committee - Abu Dhabi, the festival is an event of the new harvest of dates throughout UAE, however also a celebration of Emirati heritage and a great economic support to Al Gharbia (Western Region of Abu Dhabi Emirate) population.

" Dabbas, khallas, kunaizi, farth, bou maan, these are the most popular, the majority of grown ranges of dates in the UAE and that is why we selected them for the ratab competitors," stated Abdullah Butti Al Qubaisi, director of Projects Management and Communication at the Committee.

" Participants have the alternative to take on other ranges of ratab in the nukhba competition, which awards the very best basket of blended ratab," he added.

In the ratab "mazeinah" (appeal competitors) there is the most significant etheg competitors as well, awarding from AED 50,000 for very first place to AED 2000 for the fifth to the heaviest brunch of dates.

As in previous years, the format of the ratab competitions is getting and judging dates in one evening and revealing the winners in the following evening.

For the first day of the celebration 20 farmers sent their baskets of dabbas to be evaluated and at least 15 brought in their branches of ratab, weighing anything from 70 kg to 105 kg - the heaviest one!

" The quality of all these dabbas entries is very high and really close. We take a look at size, colour, weight, taste and pesticides free when judging the ratab, but we have our work cut out for us this year, as the quality of all entries is very good," stated Eng. Khalifa Maktoum Al Mazrouei, one of the judges of the ratab competitors.

" Dabbas is a medium size, sweet date that is especially popular here, in the Liwa area. It is also the very first one to ripe and that is why we begin the ratab competitors with dabbas," added Dr. Hassan Shabana, also a judge for the ratab competitors.

The egg-shaped, yellow coloured dabbas take up half the palm tree plantations in Liwa Sanctuary and the near by Madinat Zayed. For lots of farmers here, this date range is a regional hero, as it can grow in harsh weather and can stand up to high water salinity.

Similar to dabbas, all ratab ranges competitions will award cash prizes to the very best 15 entries. Completely, the Committee will give away AED 6 million in 220 prizes, which also include Best Model Farm, Best Fruit Basket, Best Mangoes, Best Lemons, Best Heritage Model and Photography competitions. All fruit in the competitions need to be UAE grown.

Organisers anticipate that at least 300 farmers from all over the country will take part in the ratab competitions this year, however the emphasis is not a lot on the numbers, but on the quality, and everybody associated with the celebration concurs that the quality is becoming higher and higher every year.

Far from the closed doors ratab evaluating space, lots of individuals have actually set up structures, tables and shops in the 20,000 square meters air conditioned tent, specifically set up in Mazeirah, the main town of Liwa Oasis, for the festival.

Throughout the 10 days festival (July 20-30), the up to 70,000 visitors expected will be welcomed in the festival's majlis, where fresh dates and Arabic coffee are served, will get to know about the current date palm farming and business from government and private organisations set up here with impressively designed structures (anything from solar power farming to the "beast" dates of Zirku island), will have the chance to purchase fresh dates from regional farmers and will get to buy souvenirs and handicrafts in the traditional souk.

The celebration is opened daily from 4 PM to 10 PM