AlUla Date Festival garners $1.6m in auction sales

The 4th AlUla Dates Festival opened on Sept. 8 under the slogan “Taste Our Pride.” (SPA)

• Events will take place every Friday and Saturday through Nov. 11
• The first-place, 2nd-place and 3rd-place winnerswill get prizes worth SAR 75,000, SAR 50,000 and SAR 30,000, respectively

RIYADH: The AlUla Date Festival has garnered SR6 million ($1.6 million) in auction sales since it began on Sept. 8, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Sunday.

Organized by the Royal Commission for AlUla, the annual event is a celebration of the region’s culture and a boon for the economy. Events take place every Friday and Saturday until Nov. 11.

Now in its fourth edition, it includes awards for farmers for the quantity and value of their produce sold.

The winners will be selected by the royal commission, Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, National Center for Palm and Dates, and Agricultural Development Fund.

The first-place winner will get SR75,000 ($19,997), while the second- and third-place finishers will receive SR50,000 and SR30,000 respectively.