Siwa Oasis hosted dates festival from 14 to 16 October

Siwa Oasis hosted the ninth International Dates Festival from 14 to 16 October 2026 in Siwa, Egypt. The programme brought growers, manufacturers, exporters and researchers together around date production, processing and markets.

The oasis is an agricultural heritage landscape where date palms grow alongside olives and alfalfa. The festival therefore connected a current industry gathering with the farming system that shapes Siwa and supports local livelihoods.

International Dates Festival linked Siwa farming to exports

The festival took place at the Olympic Village in the Siwa Oasis, Matrouh governorate. Egypt’s Ministry of Industry, Matrouh Governorate and the UAE-based Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation jointly organised the event.

The programme ended on 16 October 2026. It included a scientific symposium on challenges facing growers and processors, with research, technology and innovation among the subjects discussed. The organisers also presented the Egyptian Dates Competition during the festival.

The competition drew 78 farmers from six governorates and covered eight categories. These included date-palm farming, Siwi or Saidi dates, Medjool dates, applied research, processed food, processing and packaging facilities, packaging design and products made from palm by-products.

The event also marked work connected with the government-owned Siwa Dates Factory. Ahram Online’s festival report said cooperation had supported rehabilitation of the factory and other date-sector facilities.

Siwa Oasis date gardens explain the festival setting

The Food and Agriculture Organization lists the dates production system in Siwa as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System since 2016. Its description records a very dry environment where date palms are combined with olive trees and alfalfa.

The oasis uses intensively cultivated palm gardens with several crop layers. Date palms form the upper level, while fruit and lower crops grow beneath them, creating a microclimate for cultivation. Traditional gravity irrigation in small basins is also part of the documented system.

FAO records around 280,000 date palms and about 25,000 tonnes of dates a year in Siwa. The agricultural system also includes 46 crop species and supports local livelihoods. These facts explain why the festival’s focus extended beyond farming to storage, packaging and processing. FAO’s Siwa heritage profile documents the agricultural setting.

The festival also announced developments for date processing. Daily News Egypt reported that the upgraded government factory included lines for washing, sorting and packaging, as well as products such as date paste, syrup and vinegar. The factory and festival account also placed the event at the Olympic Village from 14 to 16 October 2026.

Visiting Siwa Oasis: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• The International Dates Festival ran from 14 to 16 October 2026 at the Olympic Village in the Siwa Oasis. It had ended before 21 October 2026.
• The festival was a time-limited event, so travellers arriving after 16 October 2026 should not expect its symposium, competition or festival programme to be taking place.
• Siwa is in Matrouh governorate in Egypt, and the reported festival venue was the Olympic Village in the oasis.
• Arabic is the official language and the national currency is the Egyptian pound.
• Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.

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Frequently asked questions about Siwa Oasis

When did the International Dates Festival take place at Siwa Oasis?

The festival ran from 14 to 16 October 2026 at the Olympic Village in the Siwa Oasis.

What is Siwa Oasis?

It is a date-palm agricultural landscape in Egypt recognised by FAO as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System since 2016.

Where is Siwa Oasis and how do you get there?

Siwa Oasis is in Matrouh governorate in Egypt. The reported festival venue was the Olympic Village in the oasis.