Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Center Delegation Visits Khalifa Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology
Saeed bin Thalith: The Laboratory and the Farm Are Partners in Safeguarding Date Palm Quality and Sustainability
Dubai – October 2026:
A delegation from the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Center visited the Khalifa Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology in a visit aimed at exploring the latest research and applied technologies in agriculture and biotechnology, while discussing opportunities for cooperation that could contribute to advancing date palm cultivation in the United Arab Emirates.
The delegation included H.E. Abdullah Hamdan bin Dalmook, CEO of the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Center; Mohammed Abdullah bin Dalmook, Director of the Events Department; and members of the Dubai Al Rutab judging committee: Saeed Khalifa bin Thalith, Al Hai Ali Al Subousi, Khalfan Ali Al Suwaidi, and Khadem Al Midour Al Muhairi.
The delegation was received by Prof. Dr. Khaled Amiri, Director of the Khalifa Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, along with a number of senior officials and researchers at the Center.
The judging committee’s participation in the visit reflected its field experience and specialist knowledge of the date palm and fresh dates sector, as well as its interest in exploring the latest research and applied technologies that could contribute to enhancing production quality and advancing date palm cultivation in the UAE.
During the visit, the delegation was briefed on the nature of the research conducted by the Khalifa Center and the advanced technologies it employs to support the agricultural sector. The delegation also toured a number of the Center’s specialised departments and laboratories, where members were introduced to modern scientific processes used to advance agriculture, improve production quality and enhance the efficiency of agricultural varieties, in line with the UAE’s efforts to promote agricultural innovation and sustainability.
The visit also included a tour of the Center’s specialised plant research facilities, which showcased distinguished production models and research outcomes reflecting the advanced level the Center has reached in applying modern science to support UAE agriculture. The tour provided the delegation with valuable insight into scientific efforts related to plant development, agricultural production and the preservation of biodiversity among plant varieties. وفد من مركز حمدان بن محمد لإحيا…
Sustainable Agriculture
Saeed Khalifa bin Thalith, Chairman of the Dubai Al Rutab Judging Committee, said the visit represented an important opportunity for knowledge exchange, offering first-hand insight into advanced scientific applications that can contribute to the development of date palm cultivation and the enhancement of production quality.
He noted that the future of agriculture can no longer rely solely on field experience, but increasingly depends on integration between traditional knowledge, scientific research and modern technologies.
Bin Thalith said: “What we witnessed at the Khalifa Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology reflects an advanced level of scientific work that responds directly to the needs of UAE agriculture and opens important opportunities for developing the date palm sector with greater precision and sustainability. Given its national, agricultural and cultural significance, the date palm today requires an integrated knowledge system that brings together the expertise of those who work with palms, laboratory research and biotechnology.”
He added that such integration is essential to preserving the quality of date palm varieties, ensuring the continuity of production and strengthening their ability to adapt to environmental and agricultural challenges. وفد من مركز حمدان بن محمد لإحيا…
The Chairman of the Dubai Al Rutab Judging Committee added: “Research centres such as this represent an important pillar for any initiative concerned with date palms and fresh dates, because they take agricultural practice beyond traditional methods and into a more advanced stage based on analysis, experimentation and the documentation of results.”
“This is what we need in the next phase: a complementary relationship between the field and the laboratory, in which farmers and date palm specialists benefit from scientific research outcomes, while researchers, in turn, draw upon the accumulated expertise found on farms and in the fields.”
During the visit, the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Center was honoured in recognition of its prominent role in supporting the date palm and fresh dates sector through initiatives and events that reinforce the status of the date palm as a national symbol and an important pillar of the UAE’s agricultural and cultural identity.
Among these initiatives is Dubai Al Rutab, which has evolved into a platform that brings together competition, knowledge and community engagement around the date palm.
The two parties agreed on the importance of strengthening cooperation during the coming period and developing joint initiatives that support UAE agriculture and contribute to advancing date palm cultivation in the country.
This cooperation will include the exchange of expertise, benefiting from scientific and research capabilities, and connecting heritage and agricultural events with modern knowledge in a way that serves this vital sector and reinforces its role in the future of agricultural development in the UAE.