Saudi Arabia’s palm and dates sector is experiencing significant growth, with exports increasing by 13.7 per cent in the first quarter of 2024 compared with the same period last year.
This food division is regarded as a significant contributor to diversifying income sources and boosting the gross domestic product, as the kingdom has ambitions to establish its dates as the premier choice globally.
The National Centre for Palm and Dates has recently revealed a significant increase in value across various countries during the period, reaching 644 million riyals ($171.7m), compared to 566m riyals in the first quarter of 2023.
In 2023, the value reported by NCPD increased by 14pc, reaching 1.462 billion riyals, compared to 1.280bn riyals in 2022. By the end of 2023, the number of countries importing Saudi dates had reached 119.
In an interview with Arab News in March, NCPD chief executive Mohammed Al Nuwairan emphasised that Saudi Arabia’s export portfolio extends beyond dates, encompassing derivatives like molasses, pastes and others. This diversification enhances the sector’s export presence beyond the kingdom’s borders.
“East Asian countries are receiving attention from Saudi exports of dates, especially to Singapore, situated in the heart of countries targeted for exporting dates and their derivatives, such as Indonesia, Malaysia and also China in particular. What supports this is the high demand for Saudi dates, which possess high nutritional values and production quality,” he said at that time.
The total value of date and date by-product exports has surged by 152.5pc since 2016, rising from 579m riyals in 2016 to 1.462bn riyals in 2023, marking a compound annual growth rate of 12.3pc.
According to the Saudi Press Agency, date exports to several countries, including Austria, Norway and Argentina, as well as Brazil, Portugal, Germany and Canada, exceeded 100pc.
Additionally, the value of Saudi date exports increased to Morocco by 69pc, Indonesia by 61pc, and South Korea by 41pc. Exports to the UK, the US, and Malaysia rose by 33pc, 29pc, and 16pc, respectively.
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