The date palm in Emirati life: dates, oases and aflaj

The date palm is one of the most important symbols of Emirati heritage: its fruit is food, and its fronds, fibre and trunks were used for building and for tools. In 2022 UNESCO inscribed the knowledge, skills and traditions of the date palm on its list of intangible cultural heritage.^[1][2]

Dates: «the bread of the desert»

In the UAE and the Gulf, dates are known as «the bread of the desert», and more than 40 varieties are grown locally. Following the Sunnah of the Prophet, those who fast usually break their fast with dates and laban.^[3][4]

Dates are usually served with Arabic coffee, and «chebab» pancakes are served with date syrup.^[5][4]

The oases

• Al Ain Oasis: about 1,200 hectares in the Al Mutawaa area, watered by the ancient falaj system.
• Al Hili Oasis: about 40,000 palms on 60 hectares, with 252 farms; the northernmost of Al Ain's oases.
• Liwa Oasis: the largest oasis in the Arabian Peninsula.

The aflaj: the water that feeds the palms

The aflaj are a traditional irrigation system, inscribed by UNESCO on its list of intangible cultural heritage in 2020.^[2]

Every part of the palm has a use

• At Hatta Fort, the roof was made of palm fronds, palm trunks and mud.
• For Arabic coffee, palm fibre is placed in the spout of the dallah to filter the coffee, and the «mubarrada» is a palm-frond tray for cooling roasted beans and removing their husks.
• Even in modern architecture, the «rain of light» under the dome of Louvre Abu Dhabi was inspired by palm fronds.