The Khalifa International Date Palm Award winners

Best research

Winner: Dr Mohammed Ali Mubarik Al Farisi from the Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority, for Enrichment of date paste.

Runner up: Dr Moulay Hassan Sedra from the National Institute for Agronomic Research, Morocco, for a project on the selection of molecular markers for genetic diversity analysis, cultivar genotyping, early sex detection and rapid screening for Bayoud disease resistance in date palms.

Best producer

Winner: Muhalhal Jassim Ibrahim Al Mudhaf from the Gulf Palm Company for General Trading, Kuwait.

Best technology

Winner: Dr Abdullah Mohammed Al Hamdan, Saudi Arabia, for utilisation of controlled atmosphere technology in shelf life extension of fresh Barhi dates

Runner up: Amin Zouba, Tunisia, for a new plant-growing media based on date palm leave midribs.

Best developmental project

Winner: Dr Essam Abdullah Mawloud from the Ministry of Agriculture, Iraq, for efforts to rehabilitate the date palm sector in Iraq.

Runner up: Dr Hamid Ibrahim Al Musli, Egypt, for a project to disseminate small-scale industries based on the palm's byproducts.

Distinguished Personality

Mohammed Saeed Al Makki, Jordan.

* Caline Malek