RIYADH — Saudi Arabia ranked second in the world in the production of dates, making up 17 percent of the total world production. This conforms to the goals of its Vision 2030 to become the largest exporter of dates in the world, the Saudi Press Agency reported. The Kingdom's various regions produce 1,539,755 tons of dates annually, while the volume of exports reached 184,000 tons at a value of SR860 million. The number of palm trees in the Kingdom stood at 31,234,155 in more than 123,000 agricultural holdings, covering an area of 107,000 hectares. The global production of dates reached 8.8 million tons. The Kingdom is among the leading countries producing the finest qualities of dates in the world. There are 157 date factories in the Kingdom, which are producing various types of dates for the local consumption as well as for export. The National Center for Palm and Dates introduced the "Saudi dates trademark" in 2018, guaranteeing the quality of dates and good agricultural practices in palm production. The center, in cooperation with the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, launched standard specifications for Saudi dates that include 18 varieties of the most famous local dates. These products have been classified into three categories — excellent, first, and second, taking into account their, quality, size, and weight.
