Emirati builds a majlis atop a palm tree

Liwa (Western Region) - Awad Harmoos Al Mazrouie says it feels different to host his friends as close as possible to the UAE's most beloved fruits.

 Be my guest on the tree! This is how Awad Harmoos Al Mazrouie, Emirati, receives his visitors on a special majlis or sitting area on a palm tree in his farm.
"I wanted to entertain my guests in a different way," Al Mazrouie told Khaleej Times. "It looks, feels and tastes different to host my guests as close as possible to our most beloved fruit, the dates."
The eight-metre high makeshift majlis, made of iron, is built in Al Mazrouie's farm in Liwa area of the Western Region. "My new majlis has become the favourite place of the entire family, where we can eat ripe dates from a close spot."
Al Mazrouie's two little children, Mohammed and Nasser, as well as his guests can easily climb up to the tree through a convenient staircase, also made of iron.
"My palm tree majlis, the only one I have so far, has become an attraction to dates lovers, let alone my three sons and two daughters."
35-year-old Bu Mohammed, as he preferred to be called, said he has not coined the idea of the palm tree majlis from anyone.
"It is totally my brainchild which I first thought of three years back," he said, in a comment to a staircase a Saudi man has made for his mother to personally collect dates as she used to when she was in good health.
The palm majlis has cost Al Mazrouie Dh15,000. "It took me 15 days to build the palm majlis in my farm which consists of some 800 palm trees."
Being dedicated to his palm trees, Al Mazrouie grows some 50 types of dates in his farm which he updates with new types on a regular basis. "The most popular dates in my farms are Al Majdool, Al Dabbas, Al Barhi, Al Sukari, Al Saqei, Al Khneizi and Al Khalas."
Being a professional dates farmer, he has been a regular competitor in the Liwa Dates festival.
"I have managed this year to win two prizes at the festival. The two second positions in the Dabbas dates category the Khneizi dates category brought him Dh75,000 each."
Al Mazrouie, who is based in the Western Zayed city, said he is thinking of building more palm tree majlises. "I am so keen of coming up with new ideas that combine our deeply-rooted UAE traditions and modern lifestyle."
ahmedshaaban@khaleejtimes.com