Friday/Saturday, July 10, 2026

Riyadh - SPA: City guides and local guides

Central date markets across various regions of the Kingdom have begun receiving the early production of the 2026 date season, with the introduction of local fresh and dried date varieties for which the Kingdom's regions are renowned, reflecting the leading position of the Kingdom as one of the world's largest date producers, supported by diversity of varieties and quality, and the integration of agricultural production and marketing system.

The current season is witnessing a flow of large quantities of early dates to markets, especially in Riyadh, Medina, Al Ahsa, and Qassim, which are among the most prominent date-producing regions in the Kingdom. Markets have begun receiving many varieties that are in high demand among consumers, coinciding with the start of the harvest season, which usually extends from June to the end of November.

The Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, within its summer campaign 'Sweet in its Season', launched to raise community awareness and enhance the responsibility of individuals, government and private entities, and non-profit organizations towards environmental protection and conservation of natural resources, and to support local agricultural products, confirmed the continued growth of the palm and dates sector in the Kingdom. The total number of palm trees reached approximately 37,565,146 trees during the year 2024, reflecting the ongoing expansion in palm cultivation and support for this vital sector.

The ministry revealed an increase in the number of fruit-bearing palm trees to 32,206,186 trees during 2024, an indicator that enhances the Kingdom's production capacity and confirms the success of efforts to develop the sector and raise its efficiency.

It stated that the Kingdom's total date production during 2024 recorded approximately 1,922,932.5 tons, reflecting the sustainability of national production and the sector's ability to meet local demand and support Saudi date exports to global markets.

Qassim region topped the Kingdom's regions in date production volume during 2024 with a total of 584,127.8 tons, benefiting from its historical position as one of the most important date production and marketing centers in the Kingdom. Riyadh region ranked second with a production of 456,963.5 tons, supported by vast agricultural areas and the spread of palm farms in its various governorates.

Medina region ranked third with a production of 346,932.9 tons, benefiting from its reputation for producing many distinctive varieties that enjoy local and global demand. The Eastern Region, which houses Al Ahsa Oasis, the largest natural palm oasis in the world, recorded a production exceeding 261,581.6 tons, continuing its pivotal role in supporting date production in the Kingdom.

The list of date-producing regions also included Asir region with a production of 61,680 tons, followed by Tabuk region with 56,270.2 tons, then Hail region with 52,456 tons, Makkah region with 42,912.9 tons, Al Jouf region with 42,889.2 tons, while Najran recorded 13,081.9 tons, Al Baha 3,292.4 tons, Northern Borders 559.7 tons, and Jazan 184.3 tons.

These figures reflect the geographical diversity of agricultural production in the Kingdom, and the support and attention given to the palm and dates sector within the goals of Saudi Vision 2030, aimed at enhancing food security, developing sustainable agricultural production, and increasing the competitiveness of Saudi products in local and global markets.

The palm and dates sector in the Kingdom continues to achieve accelerating growth rates, based on the qualitative initiatives and programs implemented by the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, in partnership with relevant authorities, to develop the value chain of the dates sector from agricultural production, through processing, packaging, and marketing, to enhancing export opportunities and opening new markets for Saudi dates, which lead global production.