UAE Beekeepers Win 29 Medals at Paris International Honey Awards 2026

Beekeepers from the UAE secured 29 medals at the Paris International Honey Awards 2026, including 21 gold, six silver and two platinum awards. The competition featured entries from 13 Emirati beekeepers, who submitted 29 honey samples spanning varieties such as Sidr, Samar, Ghaf, mangrove and wildflower honey, alongside honeycomb and blended products.
The Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority won two gold medals and one silver medal, taking gold for Sidr and Samar honey in the liquid category and silver for crystallised Ghaf honey.
The authority’s work in developing the beekeeping sector includes programmes tailored to local environmental conditions. These efforts include developing an Emirati bee strain adapted to the UAE climate, producing multiple generations of locally bred honeybee queens and distributing them to beekeepers across the country.
It also supports hive placement in selected natural areas to ensure sustainable production conditions.
In 2025, the authority’s publication ‘Bees and Beekeeping in the UAE’ received a silver medal for Best Beekeeping Book at the Apimondia conference in Copenhagen.
The Paris International Honey Awards is a global platform that recognises quality in honey production and supports beekeepers and producers through international exposure and benchmarking.