RIYADH: A date season initiative launched by Saudi Arabia’s National Center for Palms and Dates will see cultural events and markets taking place in a number of cities.

The center’s CEO, Mohammed Al-Nuwairan, said the aim was to regulate date trading, enhancing market efficiency and quality. Targeting locals, visitors and tourists it also seeks to boost the economic and social value of dates.

The events will strengthen the link between dates and Saudi cultural heritage, reflecting the nation’s history, identity and hospitality.

The initiative promotes the purchasing power of date markets and elevates Saudi dates as an economic product, said Al-Nuwairan. It also enhances satisfaction among farmers, marketers and buyers, and benefits the Saudi economy.

A new electronic platform has also been launched in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture. Sellers, buyers and marketers can sign up to the Seasonal Markets System, which controls and regulates date trading.

Abdullah Al-Raddadi, director general of the Al-Madinah Dates Cooperative Association, said there was increased development and interest in the date industry, particularly through the National Center for Palms and Dates.

The initiative supported farmers by connecting them directly with consumers and merchants, improving date prices, and the center also now bought directly from farmers to reduce date accumulation, he added.

In 2023, date exports increased by 14 percent, reaching SR1.462 billion ($390 million) in 119 countries, up from SR1.280 billion in 2022.

The Kingdom has over 34 million palm trees, with 11.2 million of those in the Qassim region.