As the Strategic Partner, the Abu Dhabi Department of Energy (DoE) is participating in the twenty-first edition of the Liwa Date Festival 2025. The festival is organized by the Abu Dhabi Heritage Authority and held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President of the UAE, Deputy Prime Minister, and Chairman of the Presidential Court. It is taking place from July 14th to 27th of the current month in Liwa City, Al Dhafra Region.
This participation is framed within the DoE's commitment to social responsibility and its sustained support for national activities dedicated to the preservation of authentic Emirati heritage. It also harmonizes with the Emirate of Abu Dhabi's strategic orientation of nurturing sustainability and supporting the UAE’s efforts to meet the Net Zero 2050 Strategy goals.
The DoE's participation is intended to shed light on its initiatives, policies, and programs that work to elevate energy and water use efficiency. It is also geared towards disseminating community awareness on the significance of conserving natural resources, with a particular focus on groundwater, and enhancing a culture of sustainability for visitors, particularly farmers and families.
In connection with this, His Excellency Eng. Ahmed Mohammed Al Rumaithi, DoE Undersecretary, remarked: "The DoE's participation in the Liwa Date Festival shows our dedication to backing sustainability initiatives within the energy and water sectors and to enhancing the responsible use of natural resources. He affirmed that groundwater is one of the essential foundations of the Emirate's water security."
He further stated: "The festival serves as a valuable community platform, enabling direct outreach to different sectors of society, most notably those active in agriculture. This allows the DoE to display its perspectives and programs for implementing inventive solutions and sustainable technologies which contribute to the reinforcement of food and water security in Abu Dhabi."
Al Rumaithi highlighted that the DoE's pavilion this year presents a fully integrated, interactive experience that merges heritage with technology. It does so through a collection of educational tools and digital content that aids in involving visitors and encouraging them to adopt practical measures for conserving resources, while focusing on enabling younger generations to construct a sustainable future.
Furthermore, His Excellency conveyed his thanks and gratitude to the wise leadership for its generous patronage and unwavering support for heritage events that are concerned with protecting the heritage of the nation's forefathers. Simultaneously, he lauded the efforts of the festival's organizing committee and all participants for their devoted efforts in organizing this national occasion, an event that epitomizes Emirati values and enhances the principles of sustainability in an authentic cultural setting.
Within its participation in the festival, the DoE's pavilion presents a special experience that emphasizes its Emirati environment-inspired design. It contains traditional features such as palm trees and a heritage-style majlis, along with digital screens and engaging educational content. This content focuses on the challenges of water security and the importance of reducing electricity and water consumption.
One of the main highlights the pavilion includes is the "Test Your Energy Knowledge" experience. It is an interactive, bilingual (Arabic and English) educational contest where visitors can test their knowledge on topics of sustainability, energy, and smart agriculture, presented in an exciting and appealing format.
The pavilion also offers the "Water the Palm" game, an experience designed to mimic the actual process of managing water in agriculture. It requires participants to channel water by controlling its flow to the trees with valves in a clever manner that ensures optimal resource utilization. This activity serves to reinforce the concepts of planning and consumption efficiency.
This participation by the DoE manifests its strategic vision, which is geared towards elevating Abu Dhabi's position as a leading international hub for the shift to a sustainable future in the energy and water domains. The vision is realized by combining innovation and cultural identity and by mobilizing the community's role in the country's journey towards sustainability.