RIYADH: The palm and date industry in Saudi Arabia is expanding rapidly; in the first quarter of 2024, exports rose by 13.7% over the same period the previous year.
This food sector is thought to play a major role in increasing GDP and broadening the sources of income, since the Kingdom wants to become the world’s most preferred destination for dates.
According to the National Centre for Palm and Dates, the value of palm and dates increased significantly from SR566 million in the first quarter of 2023 to SR644 million ($171.7 million).
Compared to SR1.280 billion in 2022, the value reported by NCPD increased by 14% in 2023 to SR1.462 billion. 119 countries were importing Saudi dates by the end of 2023.
NCPD CEO Mohammed Al-Nuwairan stressed in a March interview with Arab News that derivatives such as pastes and molasses, in addition to dates, are part of Saudi Arabia’s export portfolio. This diversification increases the sector’s export presence outside the Kingdom’s borders.
Saudi Arabia is attracting interest from East Asian nations with its date exports, particularly to Singapore, which is positioned in the centre of the countries intended to receive dates and their derivatives, namely China, Indonesia, and Malaysia. The strong demand for Saudi dates, which have excellent nutritional content and production quality, supports this, he stated at the time.
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