Madinah: Madinah Region ranks as the third-largest date-producing region in the Kingdom, with an annual output of approximately 344,000 tons from over eight million palm trees, known for yielding some of the finest dates.
According to Saudi Press Agency, Qassim Region led date production in Saudi Arabia by the end of 2023, accounting for 30% of total output (578,100 tons), followed by Riyadh Region with 24% (453,100 tons), Madinah with 18% (343,100 tons), and Eastern Region with 14% (258,700 tons).
The report highlighted the competitive advantages that date palm cultivation in Madinah offers to investors and the business sector. These include opportunities to implement innovative projects in date farming and production, as well as establishing modern farms that utilize advanced irrigation technologies. It also pointed to the growing potential for organic date production, driven by rising demand for healthy and natural products, as well as the role of research and development in improving date varieties and enhancing overall crop quality.
The date production sector, the report further noted, presents promising investment opportunities, particularly in the manufacturing of date-based products. These include producing date paste as a natural sugar alternative for the food industry, date syrup to meet demand in both local and international markets, and a variety of date-based goods such as pastries, sweets, beverages, and energy supplements marketed as healthy products.
The report also underscored significant export opportunities in the dates sector for entrepreneurs and investors. These include establishing specialized companies focused on packaging and wrapping dates to meet international standards, attracting global buyers, and expanding into new export markets across Europe, Asia, and North America. Additionally, the report points to the potential for launching projects that collect date seeds from consumers for use in animal feed production, as well as in the manufacturing of eco-friendly products, such as industrial wood made from palm by-products.