Saudi Arabia produces more than 300 varieties of dates and it tops globally in exporting the fruit. According to the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture (MEWA), the annual output of dates in the country exceeds 1.6 million tons.
MEWA said Saudi Arabia has witnessed a 5.4% increase in the export of dates and its derivatives in 2022, compared to 2021. The total quantity of exports exceeded 321,000 tons, with a value of SR1.28 billion. The increase was 121% compared to 2016 when the exports amounted to SR578 million, or 134,000 tons.
As for the dates exports during the Q1 of the current year, there was growth of 2.5% compared to the same period in 2022, with a value exceeding SR566 million. Saudi dates are exported to 111 countries across the world.
The Al-Qassim region has the highest number of palms with a total of 11.2 million trees, followed by Madinah with 8.3 million and Riyadh with 7.7 million, while the Eastern region (Al-Sharqiyah) has 4.1 million trees.
Source: saudigazette.com.sa