President of Sonora University: We are proud of Dr. Abdelouahhab Zaid’s fruitful career and achievements he made in the UAE, the Middle East, and Mexico in the development of the date palm cultivation and production sector.

Sonora State University, in the United Mexican States awarded an Honorary Doctorate to Dr. Abdelouahhab Zaid, in view of his great efforts and services he has provided and contributed to for the development of the date palm cultivation, production, processing and marketing sector, regionally and internationally.

This came on Monday, 06th of November, 2023, and was held in the state of Sonora in the presence of H.E. Dr. Víctor Villalobos Arambola, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development of the United Mexican States, Dr. Alfonso Durazo Montaño, Governor of the State of Sonora, Dr. Armando Moreno Soto, U.E.S. Chancellor, C.P. Santos Gonzáles Yescas, San Luis Rio Colorado Mayor, and a number of members of the diplomatic corps, experts and specialists in the date palm cultivation and date production sector in Mexico.

Dr. Armando Moreno Soto, President of Sonora State University, highlighted the fact that this honor is based on the university’s statute and justifications for the grant, which stated that Dr. Abdelouahhab Zaid made a large number of initiatives and efforts for which he deserved an Honorary Doctorate, which contributed to the development of the date palm cultivation and production sector in Mexico and the world.

Dr. Armando then added: "We at the University of Sonora are proud of Dr. Abdelouahhab Zaid, thanks to his professional career and the wonderful achievements in the UAE, the Middle East, and North Africa in particular, and in appreciation of his efforts and achievements in developing the infrastructure of the date palm cultivation in the NENA region, H.E. Jose Graziano da Silva, former FAO Director-General, did grant Dr. Abdelouahhab Zaid, the FAO Gold Medal. Note that the University of Sonora is 40 years old, and this is the first time that the university administration has granted a public figure an honorary doctorate.