ICARDA at the 8th International Date Palm Conference

28 April – 1 May 2026 | Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE) - Under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister, and Chairman of the Presidential Court, the 8th International Date Palm Conference opened this week at the Emirates Palace, convening ministers, scientists, researchers, growers, and development partners from around the world to advance innovation and sustainability across the global date palm sector.

The conference opened with welcoming remarks by H.E. Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence and Chairman of the Khalifa Award’s Board of Trustees, who welcomed participants and set the tone for the conference by underscoring the importance of international cooperation, agricultural innovation, and sustainable development in advancing the global date palm sector.

Organized by the Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation (KIADPAI), affiliated with Erth Zayed Philanthropies Foundation at the UAE Presidential Court, and in collaboration with UAE University, the conference reaffirmed the country’s leadership in advancing agricultural innovation, scientific cooperation, and sustainable development in dryland systems.

Held in partnership with ICARDA and a distinguished network of national, regional, and international institutions, the conference served as a high-level forum on the future of date palm systems and their role in strengthening resilient agri-food systems in dryland regions and beyond.

As both a strategic partner and scientific contributor, ICARDA was proud to support this global convening through research, partnerships, and innovation.

The Red Palm Weevil on the Ministerial Agenda

A major focus of this year’s conference was the urgent need for coordinated global action against Red Palm Weevil (RPW), one of the most destructive transboundary pests threatening date palm systems worldwide.

ICARDA Director General Mr. Aly Abousabaa and CGIAR Executive Managing Director Dr. Ismahane Elouafi participated in the ministerial meeting held during the conference, where RPW was elevated as a strategic issue linked to food security, environmental sustainability, and biodiversity.

In his remarks, Mr. Abousabaa emphasized that while research and innovation already exist, the global RPW response has long lacked coordination.

He further underscored that CGIAR, through ICARDA’s leadership, made a deliberate decision not to launch another standalone project, but to build a coordinated global system capable of responding to RPW at the scale the threat demands. 

Mr. Abousabaa closed by noting that while the challenge itself has not changed, the global response to it has. Through the Consortium for Red Palm Weevil Control Program (C4RPWC), funded by the International Affairs Office (IAO) at the Presidential Court of the UAE and the Gates Foundation, a more coordinated, science-based, and scalable system is now in place to protect palm ecosystems and strengthen collective action.

The Third Abu Dhabi Declaration Sets a Renewed Global Agenda

A major outcome of the ministerial meeting was the release of the Third Abu Dhabi Declaration (2026), which reaffirmed international commitment to coordinated action for the integrated and sustainable management of Red Palm Weevil.

The declaration renewed support for the commitments established in the 2019 and 2024 Abu Dhabi Declarations and recognized date palm as a strategic pillar of food security, economic resilience, social stability, and cultural heritage across dryland and semi-arid regions.

It also acknowledged the growing transboundary threat posed by RPW to the global date palm sector and reaffirmed the urgent need for stronger international coordination, investment, and innovation.

Importantly, the declaration recognized the UAE's leadership, through IAO, in coordinating international efforts through C4RPWC, and reaffirmed ICARDA’s scientific, strategic, technical, and coordination leadership of the consortium.

A Participatory Workstream‑Driven Showcase of Integrated RPW Solutions

Building on this momentum, on 29 April, ICARDA hosted a dedicated side event on C4RPWC, highlighting the consortium’s role as the first global, multi-institutional platform established to combat RPW through coordinated science, strategic partnerships, and practical innovation.

“The RPW demands a coordinated approach that brings together science, innovation, regulation, and field practice in one integrated framework. This platform is not about presenting a finished solution, but about building the partnerships, alignment, and practical pathways needed to turn promising innovation into sustained national and regional impact.” - Mr. Aly Abousabaa, ICARDA Director General

“In the UAE, date palm is part of our identity, our hospitality, and our cultural heritage. Protecting it is both a national responsibility and a shared commitment to our food security and legacy. RPW has challenged the scientific community for decades, which is why the UAE and the Gates Foundation came together to bring CGIAR science, under ICARDA’s leadership, into practical action and build a coordinated global response.” - Ms. Fatema AlMulla, International Affairs Office at the Presidential Court, UAE 

“What we have seen through this consortium is the real power of collaboration; stronger knowledge exchange, more integrated solutions, and growing momentum around sustainable RPW management. But much remains to be done.” - H.E. Prof. Dr. Abdelouahhab Alboukhari Zaid, KIADPAI Secretary General and Erth Philanthropies Foundation, UAE Presidential Court 

The session emphasized the consortium’s unique value in aligning research efforts, avoiding duplication, identifying knowledge gaps, and accelerating the translation of scientific findings into scalable, field-ready solutions for farmers. It also highlighted the importance of strengthening farmer engagement and citizen participation to support early detection, rapid response, and long-term pest management.

“C4RPWC is not a single project, but a coordinated technology pipeline designed to connect advanced science with real-world implementation. We do not deploy isolated technologies, but an integrated package of solutions that moves innovation from research to field application at scale.” - Dr. Mojeeb Stanikzai, C4RPWC Program Manager and Interim UAE Country Coordinator, ICARDA

The side event also featured technical updates from C4RPWC’s five workstreams, covering bio-based, biotech, digital, agronomic, and policy solutions for RPW management.

The event concluded with a panel discussion chaired by Dr. Augusto Becerra, ICARDA Deputy Director General – Research and C4RPWC Program Director, which focused on deployment: how integrated RPW solutions can be adapted across production systems, supported through stronger national coordination, and scaled for long-term impact.

Our sincere appreciation goes to the Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation for convening this important global platform, and to our UAE partners, including the International Affairs Office at the Presidential Court, the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority, and United Arab Emirates University, for their continued partnership, and commitment to protecting this strategic sector for generations to come.