The Kingdom showcased its top products of distinguished local date varieties and diverse processed date products, which have achieved wide distribution in major global markets and found great demand among consumers in many countries, contributing to the rise in the value of Saudi date exports and the increase in the number of importing countries.

This came during the Kingdom's participation as a guest of honor, represented by Saudi dates, at the Summer Fancy Food Show, held in New York City, USA, from June 28 to 30, with the participation of 50 countries and 2,400 exhibitors, and an expected attendance of over 30,000 visitors from around the world.

The National Center for Palms and Dates explained that the participation of a number of national date companies in this international event is an opportunity to enable them to market their processed date products and enter the US market, highlight the quality and high nutritional value of Saudi dates, and contribute to enhancing their presence in specialized international forums, affirming the importance of the palm and date sector in supporting the national economy in line with the targets of Saudi Vision 2030.

The center also stated that the Kingdom's delegation participating in the Summer Fancy Food Show consists of 13 Saudi date companies, which showcased their products at the Saudi pavilion to enhance their global presence. The center had previously announced the entry of Saudi date companies into 15 retail markets worldwide, reflecting the Kingdom's leadership in date production and exports to various parts of the world.

It added that the Summer Fancy Food Show represents an important international platform, characterized by dynamism and diverse industries, aiming to connect companies, innovators, and professionals across various sectors. It also provides a central hub for networking, product launches, knowledge exchange, as well as highlighting the latest technologies, global market trends, and enhancing opportunities for cooperation and investment.

For his part, the Consul General of the Kingdom in New York, Abdullah bin Mohammed Al-Hamdan, pointed out that the Kingdom's participation as a guest of honor at this global exhibition reflects international consumer confidence in the Saudi product and the growing status of Saudi products and their ability to compete globally. It also translates the Kingdom's leading position in date production and exports to the world, evidenced by the increasing demand for Saudi dates, as the value of its exports of this product has reached nearly two billion riyals.

The Consul General added that this participation enhances the global presence of specialized companies and highlights the Kingdom's identity, empowering Saudi date companies to introduce their varieties and processed products and boost their exports to countries around the world, thereby supporting the national economy in line with the targets of Saudi Vision 2030. He called on Saudi date companies to participate in this exhibition by taking advantage of the central networking hub provided by the exhibition, knowledge exchange, and highlighting the latest technologies and global market trends in the food sector.

It is noteworthy that the palm and date sector in the Kingdom is witnessing qualitative leaps in terms of production and export value, as total date production reaches nearly two million tons annually, while the number of countries to which Saudi dates are exported has reached over 125 countries worldwide, and the total value of date exports to them amounts to nearly two billion riyals.