Liwa

The oasis

Liwa is one of Al Dhafra's seven main settlements. Its farms are divided into Liwa Western Farms and Liwa Eastern Farms, which compete in their own model farm contests at the Liwa Date Festival. Tal Moreeb, south of the oasis, rises more than 300 metres with a 50-degree slope.^1,2,3

Festivals

The 21st Liwa Date Festival, organised by the Abu Dhabi Heritage Authority in Liwa City from 14 to 27 July 2025, had 24 competitions, including 12 date contests, and more than AED 8.7 million in prizes.³

The Liwa International Festival ran for 23 days around Tal Moreeb, from 12 December 2025 to 3 January 2026, and the next edition is scheduled for 11 December 2026 to 2 January 2027. An Etihad Rail passenger station in Liwa is due to open on 30 November 2026.^4,5

Setting up

Source: UAE Government Portal: Steps to start a business on the mainland; UAE Government Portal: National Economic Register, business licensing authorities; UAE Government Portal: Accessing services for mainland companies^7,8,9

Al Dhafra follows Abu Dhabi's rules: membership of the Abu Dhabi Chamber is required, licence documents must be in Arabic, and applications can be made at ADDED and TAMM branches.¹⁰