Dubai Municipality is set to launch the eighth edition of the ‘Hatta Honey Festival’ on December 27. Aimed at supporting the beekeeping industry in Dubai and the UAE, the festival, running until December 31, will feature around 60 Emirati beekeepers who will be showcasing their wide array of products.
The annual event is a part of the inaugural Hatta Festival this time around. It will offer visitors an opportunity to learn more about diverse varieties of honey, their unique qualities, and ways to distinguish them. It will also enable beekeepers from across Dubai to share their experiences and suggest the most effective ways to improve the quality of their products. The event also offers greater investment and economic opportunities for Hatta residents, in addition to supporting local owners of small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
Activities
The festival will be open to the public at Dubai Municipality’s Hatta Hall from 10 am until 10 pm. Visitors will be able to participate in a range of activities including a workshop on well-known foods and drinks made using honey. Honey soap-making and candle-making sessions will also be part of the lineup, as well as an art workshop for children to help them draw on fabrics, along with sessions showcasing honey packaging.
In addition, the festival will feature various recreational performances, including competitions based on Arab and cartoon figures from the ‘Freej’ TV show, a performance by the Emirati traditional dance group ‘Liwa’, as well as dedicated spaces for children’s games and activities.
Integrated lab services
The festival will see the municipality extend a number of facilities and services to support beekeepers in the Hatta region, with the Dubai Central Laboratory offering instant laboratory testing of honey samples for both exhibitors and visitors to confirm quality and adherence with approved standards. In addition, the laboratory will provide sample inspections of honey products displayed, such as examining the ratio of total sugars, glucose, sucrose, fructose and Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF).
The Dubai Smart Mobile Laboratory will detect yeast and other fungi found in honey products and check ready-to-eat meals offered at food establishments participating in the festival to guarantee their quality and safety.