Under the patronage of H.E. Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, Chairman of Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation Board of Trustees, the Award’s General Secretariat announced opening candidature for the “Date Palm International Photography” competition in its 18^th session, 2027. Professional photographers and photography lovers from all over the world are invited to participate in this international competition, which is held in appreciation of the date palm tree and to enhance the role of photographers in enriching a places’ memory and reviving its environmental heritage.

The Award’s General Secretariat also announced opening candidature for the “Date Palm International Poetry” competition in its 11^th session, 2027. Where poets from all Arab countries are invited to participate in this international competition, in appreciation of the date palm tree, and accepting Arabic poetry in both dialects (Nabati and El Fassih). As it is an important mean that embraces developing the public's awareness on the importance of the date palm tree in terms of heritage, agriculture, food and economy, and in strengthening the role of poetry in enriching a place’s memory and reviving its agricultural heritage.

The two competitions “The International Date Palm Photography competition” and “The International Date Palm Poetry competition” go beyond art and literature, as they embody a humanitarian and cultural message that strengthens the connection between people and the date palm tree as a symbol of generosity, life, memory, and shared heritage. Through the photographer’s lens, the date palm tree becomes a visual record of humanity’s relationship with the land, environment, and society, preserving the features of cultural heritage for future generations. Poetry, meanwhile, gives the date palm tree a human voice, evoking the values it represents, including patience, generosity, belonging, and sustainability. In this way, the two competitions contribute to building bridges of communication among cultures and generations, while presenting human creativity to raise awareness of the date palm’s heritage, agricultural, nutritional, economic, and environmental significance. Thus, art and literature become partners in safeguarding this shared human heritage and keeping it alive in collective memory and consciousness.

Where the deadline for receiving the photos, is the 15^th of December 2026, exclusively through the dedicated website (https://www.datepalmphoto.com/), while the deadline for receiving poems is also the 15^th of December 2026, exclusively through the dedicated website (https://www.datepalmpoetry.com/).

The winners of the competitions will be announced during February 2027.