$53m manufacturing plan announced at Saudi Arabia dates conference

More than 25 local and international agreements were signed at the recent International Dates Conference and Exhibition in Riyadh.

Investment plans to establish a SR200 million ($53 million) manufacturing facility and SR70 million service center were also announced at the event, which was organized by the National Center for Palms and Dates recently.

A total of 21 companies selling dates and their derivatives signed a deal with the Alibaba Group to export dates to China and other countries, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Friday.

The Khalas Dates Packaging Company signed a SR16 million agreement with the Baladna Company in Germany and another deal with the Galaxy Foods Company in the US worth SR7.5 million.

The NCPD organized the event jointly with King Saud University and the ByPalma Association from Dec. 5-14.

More than 1,300 people from Saudi Arabia and around the world joined in person and remotely to discuss industry developments, and opportunities and challenges facing the sector.

On the sidelines of the conference, a “World of Dates” exhibition highlighting the Kingdom’s significant role in the industry attracted more than 93,000 visitors.

Saudi Arabia is the leading exporter of dates worldwide, with sales of more than SR1,280 billion. More than 36 million palm trees in the Kingdom yield an estimated 1,600 million tons of dates sent to 116 countries each year.