Celebrating Heritage, Cultivating the Future
The fifth Palm Tree Festival concluded on Saturday, celebrating Bahrain’s rich agricultural heritage and the significance of palm cultivation. The three-day event, held at the permanent Farmers Market in Hoorat A’ali, featured a variety of palm products and traditional crafts.
The festival, inaugurated on Thursday, saw the attendance of prominent figures including Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture Minister Wael bin Nasser Al Mubarak National Initiative for Agricultural Development (NIAD) secretary general Shaikha Maram bint Isa Al Khalifa, Bahrain Development Bank Group (BDB) chief executive Dalal Ahmed Al Qais, Tamkeen chief executive Maha Mofeez, along with numerous farmers, agricultural companies, artisans, and productive families.
The event showcased a variety of palm products, including fresh dates and related items, alongside a small exhibition of traditional Bahraini crafts, highlighting the lifestyle of past generations.
Minister Al Mubarak emphasised the cultural and environmental importance of palm cultivation in Bahrain, noting its role in supporting sustainable agricultural development and food security. He highlighted the ministry’s efforts to preserve agricultural heritage, develop genetic collections of local palm varieties, and implement modern agricultural technologies.
Shaikha Maram praised the support from Bahrain’s leadership in preserving palm trees as part of the nation’s cultural heritage. She expressed gratitude to the BDB for organising the festival and commended the quality and variety of the displayed products.
Ms Al Qais thanked NIAD, the ministry, Tamkeen, BDB, and the Gulf Petrochemical Industries Company (GPIC) for their collaborative efforts in making the festival a success. She highlighted the festival as an ideal platform for farmers and productive families to showcase their products and raise awareness about the importance of palm cultivation.
Organised by the Farmers Market management under the BDB Group, in collaboration with NIAD, the ministry, and supported by Tamkeen, the National Bank of Bahrain (NBB), and GPIC, the festival aimed to encourage local production of palm products, reinforce Bahraini agricultural identity, and support farmers by providing opportunities to promote their products and increase sales and investments.