Al Dhaid Festival introduces AI to judge dates for the first time, enhancing transparency and innovation in the UAE’s leading date competition.
Sharjah: In a UAE-first, the Al Dhaid Date Festival has embraced artificial intelligence (AI) to judge its flagship competition, “Mazaiena Al Rutab” (Dates Beauty), marking a bold leap in modernising date farming traditions with cutting-edge technology.
Held from July 23 to 27 at Expo Al Dhaid, and organised by the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), the 2025 edition brought together top palm farmers, date producers, 15 agricultural firms, and key stakeholders from the public and private sectors.
The newly introduced AI judging system evaluates size, colour, quality, and overall appearance of dates with unmatched objectivity, enhancing transparency and fairness across all categories. This includes competitions for local lemons and figs, the children’s Rutab Al Kharaif Beauty contest, and a women-only homegrown date category.
The Organising Committee confirmed that integrating AI is part of the festival’s broader vision to drive digital transformation and support the agricultural ecosystem through innovation. This step not only strengthens the integrity of the judging process but also enhances the participant and visitor experience, placing Al Dhaid Festival at the forefront of agricultural innovation in the UAE.
By fusing heritage with technology, the Al Dhaid Festival aims to showcase the productivity and diversity of local crops and reinforce the UAE’s status as a global leader in date and palm cultivation. It also signals a shift towards smart agricultural practices that benefit both large-scale producers and home-based businesses.
The successful use of AI at the Al Dhaid Festival underscores a promising future where tradition meets technology in the service of excellence and sustainability.
