The National Center for Palms and Dates has recently hosted a significant event, the International Dates Conference and Exhibition, focusing on the “Byproducts of Palms and Their Applications”. The conference was a collaborative effort with King Saud University and the ByPalma Association and received sponsorship from Eng. Abdulrahman AlFadley, Minister of Environment, Water, and Agriculture. The event, spanning from December 5 to 14 in Riyadh, witnessed substantial participation from domestic and international government bodies. It featured an impressive 100 scientific presentations and over 120 sessions of scientific discussion and dialogue.
With over 1,300 participants from Saudi Arabia and abroad, the conference served as a platform for face-to-face and virtual discussions on the latest advancements, opportunities, and hurdles within the industry. Additionally, the event honored the achievements of professionals in the sector by awarding the NCPD International Prize’s second edition to eight winners in various categories, including Date Palm Innovative Technology Excellence, Best Scientific Research, and New Product Development.
In conjunction with the conference, the “World of Dates” exhibition played a pivotal role in showcasing the domestic and international palm and date markets, highlighting Saudi Arabia’s prominent position in the industry. The exhibition, which spanned more than 21,000 square meters and lasted for 10 days, attracted over 93,000 visitors, including high-ranking officials and ambassadors from 15 nations.
The exhibition was not just a showcase but also a hub for business, with over 160 participants. It featured the largest cooking competition to date, with 120 chefs from around the globe incorporating dates into their culinary creations. In terms of business deals, the event was a fertile ground for over 25 local and international agreements and memoranda of cooperation. Notably, 21 companies engaged in selling dates and related products or operating in the food industry partnered with Alibaba Group to become approved sellers for exports to China and other nations. Additionally, the Khalas Dates Packaging Company sealed a SAR16 million contract with Germany’s Baladna Company and a SAR7.5 million deal with the American Galaxy Foods Company.
The announcement of a SAR200 million factory and a SAR70 million service center being established was another highlight of the event. The exhibition also emphasized the cultural significance of dates in Saudi society and the country’s wealth in palm trees and date production.
A special feature of the exhibition was the “Palm Museum”, which narrated the history of the palm tree within the civilizations of the Near East and Islamic heritage, as well as detailing the Kingdom’s ongoing support and development of the sector.
The National Center for Palms and Dates is committed to advancing the palm and date sector on both a local and global scale, aiming to position Saudi dates as the top choice worldwide. Saudi Arabia currently stands as the world’s leading exporter of dates, with exports valued at SAR1,280 billion. The Kingdom’s robust production stems from over 36 million palm trees, resulting in an estimated annual yield of roughly 1,600 million tons of dates distributed to 116 countries across the globe.