Have a ‘date’ in this Al Ain spot

abu dhabi — What better way to experience the culture and offerings of an emirate than by spending time at a date plantation?

The idea of the unique touristic attraction has been conceived by the Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi), which signed an MoU with Al Foah Company, owners of the Al Foah Organic Date Farm. Both have launched the initiative to encourage visitors to explore the culture of the emirate.

The collaboration is also in line with TCA Abu Dhabi’s constant efforts of showcasing the city’s rich heritage, combining it with a unique tourism experience for residents and visitors alike. Located in Al Ain, the Al Foah date factory’s diversification into a new leisure attraction is anticipated to add a unique tourism experience to Abu Dhabi with the development of the site attracting local, regional and international visitors.

Saif Saeed Ghobash, directorgeneral of TCA Abu Dhabi, said: “Through our combined expertise, we will create a compelling visitor experience merging our rich culture with unparalleled recreational activities, highlighting the diversity of our cultural assets. In addition to the engagement with the organic date-picking activities from Al Ain Oasis, which contains more than 147,000 date palms of up to 100 different varieties, visitors will now have the opportunity to experience all the different phases and steps in the dates manufacturing processes.”

Musallam Obaid Al Ameri, chief executive officer of Al Foah Company, said that the company’s mission is to build a global date brand in the UAE and highlight the significance of dates into people’s daily lives, while promoting tourism to Abu Dhabi and providing visitors with a unique experience.

Abu Dhabi is strategically positioning itself as an inspiring tourism destination where visitors can experience cultural authenticity, diverse natural offerings, and dynamic family-leisure entertainment. The MoU is expected to herald a surge in interest for authentic cultural experiences, such as in Al Ain Oasis — the UAE’s first curated Unesco World Heritage site visitor experience — which together with a mandate to preserve heritage and culture, protect historic sites, and develop museums on the Saadiyat Cultural District contributes to differentiating the emirate by its unique attributes for leisure, culture and nature.

— business@khaleejtimes.com