Value of Saudi date exports increases by 13.7% in Q1 2024
Saudi Arabia’s palm and dates sector is experiencing significant growth, with the exports increasing by 13.7 percent in the first quarter of 2024 compared to 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 Center for Palm and Dates has recently revealed a significant value increase in various countries during the period, reaching SR644 million ($171.7 million), compared to SR566 million in the first quarter of 2023.
In 2023, the value announced by NCPD increased by 14 percent, reaching SR1.462 billion, compared to SR1.280 billion in 2022. By the end of 2023, the number of countries importing Saudi dates had reached 119.
Speaking to Arab News, Mohammed Al-Nuwairan, CEO of NCPD, said that Saudi Arabia is not limited to exporting dates: “but rather the export extends to include date derivatives such as molasses, pastes, and others, which enhances the presence of exports from the sector outside Saudi Arabia.”
Al-Nuwairan added: “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.”
The total value of date and date by-product exports increased by 152.5 percent since 2016, from SR579 million in 2016 to SR1.462 billion in 2023, with a compound annual growth rate of 12.3 percent.