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Saudi Arabia Is World's Top Dates Exporter

Saudi Arabia was the world’s top exporter of dates in 2021. (SPA)
Saudi Arabia was the world’s top exporter of dates in 2021. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia Is World's Top Dates Exporter

Saudi Arabia was the world’s top exporter of dates in 2021. (SPA)
Saudi Arabia was the world’s top exporter of dates in 2021. (SPA)

Saudi Arabia was the world’s top exporter of dates in 2021, revealed Trendmap.

The Kingdom topped a list of 113 export countries, reaping 1.215 billion riyals (324 million dollars) from selling dates.

This means dates are among the most important sectors that help in raising national investments and exports, achieving one of the goals of Vision 2030.

The Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture revealed that Saudi Arabia produces and exports over 300 types of dates with production reaching 1.54 tons annually.

In a report, it said the season for producing dates begins in June and ends in November.

Saudi Arabia boasts the best quality dates and the ministry is working to transform the Kingdom into the world’s top producer, through improving the quality of production at farms and other measures.

Organic farms in the Kingdom adopt international food standards that ease the export process. Demand for dates as an organic product has risen in Europe, the United States and Japan.

This in turn has helped encourage investment to develop the palm and dates industry to make Saudi dates the world’s first choice for the product.

Saudi Arabia boasts 33 million palm trees. It produces various types of dates, including al-Barhi, al-Khudri, al-Khalas, al-Sukkari, al-Safawi, al-Safari, al-Ajwa, al-Anbara and others.

The ministry is working on establishing a comprehensive system of agricultural, logistic, marketing and information services to improve the local and international production and consumption of Saudi dates.

It has also proposed initiatives with United Nations agencies that have led to dates’ registration as a super fruit at the Food and Agriculture Organization, which declared 2027 the International Year of Dates.

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FAO Aims for Key Outcomes at COP16 in Saudi Arabia

Preparations in the Saudi capital ahead of hosting the COP16 conference on combating desertification (from the “COP16” page on the X platform)
Preparations in the Saudi capital ahead of hosting the COP16 conference on combating desertification (from the “COP16” page on the X platform)
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FAO Aims for Key Outcomes at COP16 in Saudi Arabia

Preparations in the Saudi capital ahead of hosting the COP16 conference on combating desertification (from the “COP16” page on the X platform)
Preparations in the Saudi capital ahead of hosting the COP16 conference on combating desertification (from the “COP16” page on the X platform)

Dr. Abdul Hakim Elwaer, Assistant Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), stated that the organization will take an active role at COP16, the UN conference on combating desertification, scheduled to take place in Saudi Arabia in early December.

In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, he expressed confidence that the conference—the first of its kind in the Middle East—would produce significant outcomes.

Elwaer’s comments came during a roundtable organized by FAO’s regional office in Cairo, attended by a select group of media representatives. The session focused on FAO’s participation in the upcoming conference and the importance of the Rio Trio —the integrated framework of the three major UN conventions addressing climate change, biodiversity conservation, and desertification.

Fida Haddad, FAO’s Program Officer for Land Rehabilitation and Climate Change, highlighted the interconnectedness of the three conventions and noted that COP16 would place a strong emphasis on land and water rehabilitation and their sustainable management.

Haddad pointed out that approximately 90% of the Middle East is affected by arid conditions. Despite this, local communities and Arab governments have made notable progress in addressing desertification and drought. She also announced that, for the first time, FAO has successfully placed food systems on the COP16 agenda, enabling discussions on how land rehabilitation can enhance food supply chains and systems.

Elwaer underscored FAO’s central role in achieving the second Sustainable Development Goal (SDG): eradicating hunger. He emphasized that FAO actively engages in the UN conventions on climate change, biodiversity, and desertification, which collectively contribute to this mission.

FAO’s focus, according to Elwaer, is on transforming food and agricultural systems to become more inclusive, efficient, and sustainable, aiming for better production, nutrition, and livelihoods. He highlighted the organization’s success in integrating these priorities into the agendas of the three conventions and collaborating with host countries on joint initiatives.

He further noted that Saudi Arabia’s hosting of COP16 is particularly significant for the region, which faces pressing challenges such as water scarcity, desertification, and food insecurity. The conference presents an opportunity for Middle Eastern nations to highlight these issues, explore solutions, and ensure their inclusion in global environmental discussions, not only at this event but in future COP sessions, he underlined.

Elwaer emphasized the growing global attention on desertification, as it is now impacting regions previously unaffected, such as southern Europe and parts of Latin America. These areas are witnessing alarming declines in arable land and forests, prompting them to seek lessons from the Arab world, which has developed resilience strategies to combat desertification over centuries.

FAO will have a strong presence at COP16, with two dedicated pavilions—one in the Blue Zone for official delegations and another in the Green Zone to engage civil society and conference participants, he said.

He added that in collaboration with Saudi Arabia and the UN, FAO will lead coordination on Food Day and Governance Day, scheduled for December 5 and 6, respectively. The organization will also participate in other specialized sessions throughout the conference.