BURAIDAH — The world's biggest dates festival opened in Buraidah on Wednesday. The festival will continue for 40 days. The head of Qassim Municipality and the supervisor of the festival, Saleh Al-Ahmad, said it is Buraidah's main event every year. “The festival greatly boosts the province's economy as tourists come from all over the Kingdom and the Gulf countries. The festival showcases dates from Qassim and other provinces. Visitors are welcome to buy a variety of dates here,” said Al-Ahmad. He added that the municipality supervised and managed several festivals in the past and they had all been successful. “We expect a great turnout at the festival and hope for high sales. "Date vendors from Buraidah are sought after in all regions of the Kingdom as they bring the purest and freshest of dates,” said Al-Ahmad. The festival's executive manager Abdulaziz Al-Mahoos said the festival is not only a chance to celebrate but is also a research opportunity. “The festival gathers date enthusiasts from all over the country at one place. We will conduct surveys and collect statistics on the sales and revenues throughout the festival. At the end of the festival, we will announce the results of our surveys in all transparency,” said Al-Mahoos. He added that the festival would also raise awareness about fair pricing and quality assurance. “We will invite experts in quality assurance and we will openly discuss appropriate and fixed pricing in the dates market. The festival is an occasion to discuss issues faced by both vendors and consumers,” said Al-Mahoos. The Qassim Municipality maintains the market, which spans 300,000 sq. meters, accommodating thousands of trucks and refrigerated trailers. Guinness Book of World Records lists it as the largest dates market in the world.
