RIYADH — Saudi Arabia ranks second among the dates producing countries in the world with an annual production of 1.5 million tons. According to the latest report of the National Center for Palms and Dates (NCPD) and the General Authority for Statistics, the Kingdom exports dates to 107 countries across the world during the year 2020, indicating the great development of marketing the product and the expansion of its export in comparison to the previous years. Dr. Muhammad Al-Nuwairan, CEO of NCPD, said that the center, in cooperation with the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture (MEWA), is implementing several programs to develop the dates sector in the Kingdom, as well as to raise its efficiency and enhance its productivity. He said that this would boost the arrival of Saudi dates to the countries targeted for export and in addition the Saudi dates would become the topmost quality of dates in the world. According to the report, the Kingdom's Vision 2030 aims to invest in the important natural components that the country abounds in, especially food and agricultural crops, and has sought to make the dates sector one of the most important sectors that herald the era of national investments and exports to countries all over the world. The value of exports of dates grew by 7.1 percent, reaching SR927 million, while the increase in the amount of exports of dates in the same year amounted to 17 percent, reaching 215,000 tons. The report noted that Saudi Arabia seeks to raise the level of its exports globally and promote the Saudi dates brand by improving the quality of production both in farms and in factories, improving the quality of exported dates and encouraging investment in the palm and dates sector. Within the framework of operating and developing the existing farms, NCPD seeks to find an integrated system of agricultural, logistical, marketing and knowledge services and adopt modern technologies to achieve production efficiency and increase the rate of consumption of Saudi dates locally and globally, as the Kingdom boasts of having more than 31 million palm trees and more than 123,000 agricultural holdings. The palm and date sector contributes to many manufacturing and food industries, including food, fodder and other industries including medical and cosmetic products and building materials industries. The number of date factories in the Kingdom is 157. The manufacturing industries for palms and dates are one of the most important industries in the world, which indicates their development in many countries that are producing and consuming dates. Since the launch of the Saudi dates' brand, the number of palms that have received the brand has reached 1.7 million, which constitutes five percent of the total number of palm trees in the Kingdom. A total of 42 factories, 41 farms and 24 companies have obtained the brand, in addition to many farms and factories that are in the process of either joining the brand or achieving the conditions to join the brand. The report indicated that the revenues from dates would hit record figures, especially after developing the supply chain for farms through the launch of a number of post-harvest service centers. This will allow farmers to benefit from the services provided such as packaging, cleaning and storage, in addition to marketing products, which will have a significant impact on the farms and the sector as a whole.
