First Abu Dhabi International Date Palm Exhibition to Kick-off on 7 December

The inaugural edition of the Abu Dhabi International Date Palm Exhibition (ADIDPE 2015), the world’s only dedicated B2B event for the date palm fruit, will take place from 7 - 9 December at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC).

25 November 2015

As a platform for trading in dates, ADIDPE will showcase hundreds of varieties of the most widely cultivated fruit crop in the UAE from top global date producing countries.

Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister of the UAE, Minister of Presidential Affairs and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority (ADFCA), the event will be co-located with the Middle Eastern Food Exhibition (SIAL Abu Dhabi 2015), the region’s fastest growing food, beverage and hospitality event.

ADIDPE 2015 will draw the participation of 200 exhibitors from 15 countries, six national country pavilions and more than 2,000 trade attendees and suppliers from across the world. Visitors to ADIDPE will get an opportunity to see, taste and try hundreds of varieties of dates under one roof.

The Hosted Buyer Programme will serve as a key attraction of the event, convening more than 50 top buyers of the date palm fruit and associated products from Malaysia, India, Jordan, Pakistan, Italy, United Kingdom, among others to meet with exhibitors and discuss their requirements. In addition to the dedicated buyers of date fruit, ADIDPE will also attract 15,000 serious food buyers from around the world visiting the co-located SIAL Abu Dhabi 2015.

Mr. Fadi Saad said: “ADIDPE 2015 will provide an ideal platform for date producers and suppliers to meet with top buyers of date palm fruits from different parts of the world including many large scale importers and retailers. We aim to organise the event on an annual basis to help this key contributor to the UAE’s economy find its right place in the global trade arena.”

He added: “Establishing a dedicated B2B platform for trade in date palm fruits will support the agricultural infrastructure in the country and help local famers and producers of dates to better understand the international buying trends and meet the surging global demand. We also expect the event to become a major factor in influencing the purchasing decisions of buyers, purchasing managers and key stakeholders from the global date palm industry. This will strengthen the emirate’s growing status as a global hub for the date trade.”

The UAE is the world’s top exporter and second largest importer of dates, making Abu Dhabi the ideal destination to host a show of ADIDPE’s calibre. In addition to highlighting the economic importance of the crop, ADIDPE 2015 aims to celebrate the long association of the date palm with the UAE’s cultural heritage and Bedouin way of life.

Abu Dhabi International Date Palm Exhibition is extensively supported by the strategic partner Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority and the headline sponsor Ministry of Presidential Affairs. The event is jointly organised by SIAL Middle East and Khalifa International Date Palm Award.