Across the UAE, palm tree owners, farmers, and date producers now have a coordinated resource to help them navigate one of Islam’s core financial obligations. The UAE Council for Fatwa has organised a national awareness initiative titled Zakat on Dates: Growth and Giving 2026, bringing together government entities and strategic partners to address questions that surface every year during the date harvest season.
The campaign responds to a practical need within the agricultural community. Farmers and palm tree owners often face genuine uncertainty about how much zakat they owe on their harvest, when it must be paid, and which recipients are eligible to receive it. The council has structured its response through eight seminars held across various emirates, supplemented by field-based activities, digital programmes, and community engagement designed specifically for those working in date production.
Dr Sabaa Salem Al Kaabi, Secretary-General of the UAE Council for Fatwa, explained that the initiative translates abstract fatwa knowledge into actionable guidance. “The diversity of the campaign’s programmes, including seminars, educational sessions, participation in festivals dedicated to fresh dates and dates, programmes targeting children, competitions, and cultural segments, reflects the council’s commitment to engaging different segments of society through appropriate means and strengthening the presence of institutional fatwa in the daily life of the community,” he said.
One of the campaign’s most concrete contributions is a unified national standard that farmers can rely on. His Eminence Shaykh Abdullah bin Bayyah, Chairman of the UAE Council for Fatwa, noted that the council has adopted a consistent nisab (minimum threshold) for dates across the UAE of 541 kilograms after drying. This figure draws from established Islamic legal principles alongside field research and scientific studies examining local date varieties and production realities. The standardised threshold removes ambiguity that previously existed across different regions.
Seminars address the full range of practical questions farmers encounter. Topics include the status of the palm tree within Emirati identity and its economic significance; the methodological framework the council uses to govern fatwas on zakat for dates; specific rulings on the minimum amount due, payment timing, and eligible recipients; how different irrigation and production methods affect obligations; and whether zakat can be paid in dates themselves or their monetary equivalent. Contemporary issues relevant to modern farming operations also receive attention.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs, Endowments and Zakat contributes dedicated segments to the seminars, introducing the official mechanisms available for calculating and paying zakat on dates. This integration ensures that attendees not only understand the religious ruling but also know how to act on it through established national systems.
Beyond formal seminars, the campaign reaches communities through multiple channels. Participation in date festivals and events brings the message to gatherings where farmers and producers naturally congregate. Educational sessions at community centres make the content accessible to those unable to attend formal seminars. Children’s programmes introduce younger generations to the connection between the palm tree and Emirati heritage. Awareness publications and visual content are tailored to different audience segments, ensuring the message reaches farmers, zakat payers, and the general public through formats suited to their circumstances.
Cultural and interactive elements reinforce the campaign’s reach. National poetry celebrating the palm tree’s place in Emirati consciousness accompanies the seminars. Awareness competitions test attendees’ understanding of the zakat nisab for dates. Live question-and-answer sessions allow farmers and payers to raise specific concerns directly with council representatives. These interactive components transform the seminars from one-directional instruction into genuine community dialogue.
Shaykh Abdullah bin Bayyah framed the campaign within Islam’s broader objectives. “The campaign embodies the higher objectives of zakat in promoting the growth of wealth and strengthening social solidarity and mutual compassion,” he stated. He emphasised that the initiative connects a religious obligation with the palm tree’s deep significance in Emirati identity, facilitating compliance among producers and payers working under clear guidelines and a reliable national fatwa authority.
The council’s approach reflects a commitment to what Islamic jurisprudence calls “facilitating religious practice and alleviating hardship.” By providing Shariah rulings grounded in scholarly methodology that accounts for agricultural realities, the campaign removes barriers that might otherwise prevent farmers from fulfilling their obligations with confidence.
More information about the campaign and the council’s fatwa services is available through the official media office at https://www.mediaoffice.abudhabi/en/community/uae-council-for-fatwa-organises-nationwide-campaign-to-raise-awareness-of-zakat-on-dates-and-foster-values-of-generosity/. The council has called on the public to follow its official accounts to access trusted fatwa guidance and stay informed about publications and awareness content as the campaign continues to unfold across the emirates. Whether the initiative shifts long-standing uncertainty among smaller-scale growers remains the practical question the coming harvest season will answer.