Sweet start to second honey festival with several varieties on display

DUBAI — The second edition of the Hatta Honey Festival got off to a sweet start, as a total of 50 bee farmers and manufacturers from Saudi Arabia, UAE and Oman gathered to display several varieties of exotic and common honey.

Hussain Nasser Lootah, directorgeneral of the Dubai Municipality, along with Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment (MoCCAE), inaugurated the festival, which is set to continue till December 31. “The Hatta Honey Festival is part of the project to develop the Hatta region and support local industries. The event brings together a large group of beekeepers from the UAE, the Arabian Gulf and the world to exchange experiences and discuss the most successful ways to improve honey production, considered one of the ancient industries in Hatta area. We’ve noticed a considerable increase in the production and sale of honey since the first festival,” said Lootah. The festival aims to help beekeepers in marketing their products. “The accompanying events include lectures by experts from the UAE and Gulf countries and educational sessions on ways to increase productivity,” added Lootah.

Abdullah Al Shareef, the owner of Honey and Health Saudi Arabia, said: “The festival is a good place for beekeepers and manufactures to meet and share knowledge.”

The festival offers the public an opportunity to know and distinguish between the various types of honey. The products offered also included different types of honey such as Al Sidr, Al Shouka, Al Telh, Al Samr, Al Salm, Al Dhahi, Al Qatad, Al Saifi, Al Sehah, Al Barseem, Al Rabeei, and Al Hamadhiyat, which can be distinguished by colour and smell.