Diriyah Governor Celebrates Dates Season And Highlights MEWA's Role In Enhancing Date Quality

Prince Fahd bin Saad bin Abdullah, Governor of Diriyah, commended the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture (MEWA) for advancing the date production sector in Saudi Arabia. He acknowledged the ministry's initiatives that support farmers and enhance the quality of dates, aligning with Saudi Vision 2030. His comments were made during the opening of the Diriyah Dates Season and its exhibition, which continues until July 24.

The Diriyah Dates Season is part of an initiative by the National Centre for Palms and Dates to promote Saudi dates both locally and internationally. This event offers a rich experience that combines Diriyah’s cultural heritage with economic and social activities focused on dates. Visitors can explore booths featuring date vendors, processed products, palm by-products, and items from families in the cottage industry.

In recent years, Saudi Arabia's palm and date sector has experienced significant growth. According to 2024 data from the General Authority for Statistics, date exports reached SAR1.695 billion, with local production surpassing 1.9 million tons. Saudi dates were exported to 133 countries, marking a 15.9% increase compared to 2023 figures.

This expansion highlights Saudi Arabia's robust production capabilities. It is attributed to MEWA's efforts alongside the National Centre for Palms and Dates in improving quality standards, expanding international reach, and enhancing supply chains. These efforts contribute significantly to the national economy under Saudi Vision 2030.

The event also features restaurants, cafés, food trucks, workshops for adults and children, a date auction zone, and a horse parade. The Ministry of Culture participates through a booth dedicated to artisans specialising in palm-based crafts as part of the Year of Handicrafts.

Prince Fahd highlighted how these initiatives add value to dates as a national product while supporting farmers through strategic programs. The season blends economic activities with cultural experiences centred around dates and their products.

The Diriyah Dates Season aims to boost the presence of Saudi dates globally while offering visitors an immersive experience that celebrates both heritage and innovation in date production.

With inputs from SPA