A farmer displays his dates at the Buraidah festival, Wednesday. — SPA BURAIDAH – More than 200,000 tons of 37 different types of dates are on display at the 10th Buraidah Dates Festival, which is being held here for 75 days. The dates are from eight million palm trees of which six million are in Buraidah and the remaining two million in areas neighboring the “Dates City”. Economists estimate the dates are valued at SR2.5 billion, an increase of 20 percent compared to last year. A total of 65 percent of the total produce, averaging SR25 million a day, is sold in the Dates City. The market has contributed to creating 3,000 jobs including sellers, auctioneers and service employees. More than 3,000 trucks are transporting the produce to the market on a daily basis. Farmers said there has been an increase in demand for dates. He said the festival serves as a unique opportunity for date merchants and farmers to market their shipments. It also enables jobseekers to develop their selling and buying skills.
