Abu dhabi: The second edition of the Al Wathba Flower Festival kicked off on Friday as part of a series of events accompanying the Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Agricultural Excellence Award. The festival runs until 30th January at the award’s pavilion within the Sheikh Zayed Festival in Al Wathba, Abu Dhabi.
According to Emirates News Agency, the festival combines natural beauty with agricultural innovation, in line with the UAE’s vision to promote sustainability and agricultural culture. The programme includes specialised workshops on creating 3D flower-themed content, hands-on public workshops, and competitions such as Best Creative Practice in Floriculture, Best Flower-Based Product, Best Desert Garden Design, Most Beautiful Home Flower Garden, Best Flower Farm in the UAE, and Best Photograph of the Al Wathba Flower Festival.
The festival will also feature a live show titled ‘Flower Creativity’, discussion sessions with the Agricultural Youth Council, and interactive activities aimed at families, children, and enthusiasts. This year’s edition builds on last year’s inaugural event and its accompanying activities, which attracted more than 13,000 visitors and featured over 25 events and 10 competitions.
The festival serves as an integrated educational platform combining learning, entertainment, and innovation. It contributes to strengthening the principles of sustainable agriculture and supporting local production. The festival also benefits from the support and collaboration of several private companies specialising in flower cultivation and landscaping, enhancing national efforts to develop the agricultural sector.
Meaad Mohammed Al Rashdi, Head of the Al Wathba Flower Festival Team, stated that the festival reflects the award’s vision of supporting pioneering initiatives that celebrate agriculture and innovation and highlights flowers as both an aesthetic and economic element of the UAE’s agricultural sector. She noted that the festival serves as an educational and interactive platform bringing together experts, farmers, creatives, and the public to share knowledge, encourage innovation, and promote sustainable agricultural practices, particularly in desert environments.
Al Rashdi added that the festival also aims to support local products and national farms, strengthen the presence of Emirati flowers in the agricultural and economic landscape, and create new marketing opportunities and partnerships for the sector. The organising committee invited the public to visit daily from 4:00 pm to 11:00 pm at the award’s pavilion within the Sheikh Zayed Festival in Al Wathba.
