The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is working to raise its share of global date exports to 20% before the end of 2025, ensuring its position in the first place among the countries exporting dates globally.
To achieve this goal, Saudi Arabia established the National Center for Palms and Dates, which focused on contributing to the development of the palm and dates sector in the country.
The main tasks of the center were to approve the establishment or acquisition of companies or participate in them in the field of specialization, encourage the export of dates through advertising for marketing abroad through embassies and trade fairs, and contribute to the development and sustainability of palm cultivation and date production in Saudi Arabia and its promotion and raising its quality.
The center is also working on developing an integrated system of agricultural and marketing services, cooperating with relevant authorities and exercising competencies, to develop policies, plans, programs and initiatives in the field of palm cultivation, production and marketing of dates, reviewing and evaluating them and supervising their implementation.
#Hana_Transformation
The National Center for Palms and Dates @NCPD_SA;
To develop and sustain the Saudi date palm and date sector so that the Kingdom’s dates will be the first choice in the world.
Within the initiatives of the #National_Transformation_Program led by the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture @MEWA_KSA.# Saudi_Vision_2030 pic.twitter.com/PsqtjeHvE7
— National Transformation Program (@NTP_2030) August 7, 2022
global plan
At the global level, the Kingdom established the International Date Council with the membership of 11 producing countries in 2013, with the aim of strengthening the international partnership to develop the palm and dates sector in the world in an integrated and sustainable manner, developing the production and quality of dates, working to improve their manufacture, as well as enhancing the contribution to raising the level of income and living for workers In the field of dates, achieving sustainable agricultural and rural development, food security, environmental balance and optimal use of natural resources.
The steps taken by the Saudi government led to it occupying the top of the ranking of global exporters of dates, and raising its market value. The volume of date production in the world last year reached 9.2 million tons of dates, with a trading volume of 7.9 billion riyals (1 dollar equals 3.75 Saudi riyals). Saudi Arabia acquired 15% of it, with a value of 1.215 billion riyals.
Buraidah Dates Festival is one of the most important marketing agencies in the Kingdom (Saudi Press Agency)
Unaizah Forum
In the context of educating and enhancing the awareness of those responsible for producing dates in the Kingdom, the Onaizah Date Forum is held annually, which focuses on investment opportunities and initiatives in the palm and dates sector, marketing strategies, and logistics services for this sector.
In its latest edition, which concluded on Thursday, the forum recommended strengthening the role of the private sector in the production, marketing and trade of dates, encouraging investment in the palm and dates sector, working to develop the quality of dates and improving their manufacture, providing a database for the palm and dates sector, and preparing extension programs and integrated control programs for palm pests. and dates.
The forum stressed the importance of using optimal natural resources in the production of high-quality dates, the development of international trade, the importance of supporting the manufacturing industries of dates, and supporting coordination between date farmers, the private sector, retail trade, distributors and exporters within the value-added chain, and the importance of supporting and encouraging palm farmers by identifying Tracks for prizes offered for model and integrated farms.
Onaizah Forum tries to consolidate the date industry in the Kingdom (Saudi Press Agency)
Buraydah Festival
The Onaizah Forum is not the only one that is trying to establish this industry in Saudi Arabia. There is the Buraidah Dates Festival, which is held annually in conjunction with the forum and aims to promote the Kingdom's exports in this field.
Buraidah is the largest city in the Qassim region, which produces more than 300,000 tons of dates annually.
The farmers are working to break this number by planting more than two million additional palm trees to increase production and contribute to achieving the Kingdom's Vision 2030 in increasing non-oil revenues.
The Buraidah Dates Festival is one of the largest marketing outlets in the region, as more than a thousand cars loaded with tons of dates receive it daily, received by consumers and investors, many of which are directed to the export yard, which occupies an area of 15,000 square meters, from which it is packaged and exported to the cities of the Kingdom and abroad at the level of The Gulf and Arab countries, the continents of America, Europe and East Asia.
Thank you, Prince of Qassim
d.
Faisal bin Mishaal
for directing you to increase the activities accompanying the Buraidah Dates Festival
and to transform its name into the Buraidah Dates Carnival
, which will, God willing, contribute to increasing sales and increasing activities for tourists and shoppers.
pic.twitter.com/1jZLf3nHQj
— Suleiman Al-Sahli (@ALshemasyah) August 12, 2022
The palm and date sector is of great importance in Saudi Arabia, as it contributes to many manufacturing and food industries, to include food, fodder and other industries.
The manufacturing industries for palms and dates are among the most important industries in the world, which indicates their development in many countries producing and consuming dates.
The number of date factories in Saudi Arabia is about 157, while Saudi Arabia is home to more than 31 million fruitful date palms, and more than 123,000 agricultural holdings, according to official reports.