News DeskAbu Dhabi, UAE – The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has pledged to provide technological support to Pakistan to enhance date palm cultivation. The commitment comes as part of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in Abu Dhabi on Monday.
The MoU was signed by Pakistan’s Ambassador to UAE, Faisal Niaz Tirmizi, and the General-Secretary of Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation, Dr Abdelouahab Zaid. The ceremony was witnessed by UAE Minister for Tolerance and Co-existence, Shaikh Nahyan Mubarak Al Nahyan.
The Arab region, which contributes over 75% of the world’s date production, has seen an average annual growth rate of four per cent in recent years. The UAE, considered a pioneer in date palm cultivation, has agreed to promote joint cooperation and share expertise with Pakistan.
This agreement will provide Pakistani farmers with the opportunity to increase date palm cultivation, including through innovative ideas. As part of the agreement, Pakistan will host the first International Date Palm Festival this year.
The MoU aims to boost agricultural innovation and research related to the development and promotion of various aspects of date palm cultivation and the related industry, as announced by the Pakistan Embassy in Abu Dhabi.
The UAE is already assisting Pakistan in date processing. The Abu Dhabi Fund for Development has provided $6.36 million for setting up a date processing plant at Panjgur, which produces over 32,000 tons of dates per day.
