JEDDAH: Conservation projects are getting a major overhaul in many historical sites in the Kingdom. Expertise from local conservationists and those from abroad is sought to help restore, renovate and maintain these sites.
Dr. Rana Al-Kadi, a Saudi Ph.D. graduate majoring in Conservation and Restoration of Architectural Heritage from the Technical University of Madrid, said her fieldwork experiences at the Spanish university gained her unique experience to push for the preservation of historical heritage sites in the region and in the Kingdom.
She diverted her career and educational path, as she was impressed by the Islamic architecture of Andalusia. This prompted her to live in Spain, where she journeyed into the world of historical architecture for eight years.
“I learned a great deal from the Spanish. I learned how to investigate, research and understand how to broaden my horizons,” said Al-Kadi. “History plays a major role in every society and to understand its important impact on the evolution of its architecture drew me to want to know more. I, like many others, have a duty to preserve our country’s heritage.”
Her knowledge of Saudi Arabia was of high interest to the Spanish. Given the strong bilateral relations between the two countries, students and teachers often sought her help in informing the students of various Saudi aspects with regard to their majors and more.
“When the high-speed Haramain train project was first introduced to the public, a professor sought my help for a thorough background on the importance of it,” said Al-Kadi.
“I gave lectures at several universities, to help students understand the topography and the Islamic significance of the two cities.
“The students were able to understand their projects and design their own high-speed trains in a competition that was announced in their respective universities.”
The region in which Saudi Arabia is situation has a rich past. It is a fertile land for heritage projects and with the announcement of Vision 2030, Al-Kadi returned to Saudi Arabia a few years ago. She believes the vision is a turning point for many students abroad to come back and help the Kingdom achieve its goals.
From her perspective, Saudi Arabia’s historical presence in the region was undermined and unknown. But with the new projects being discussed, she believes we’re putting a major spotlight on the prominent cultures in the region, and the projects are key to an expansion of Vision 2030.
“The preservation projects I have had the privilege to work on in Spain gave me insight as to what to hope can be implemented in my country as well. We can’t have our sites renovated incorrectly.
“ I’m trying to advocate the importance of our heritage in my social media sites, which have gained a lot of recognition. Our historical sites are of profound importance not only to the peninsula, but to the region as well,” said Al-Kadi.
The Saudi researcher understands the magnitude of the preservation projects and firmly believes that with proper training, lectures and fieldwork, the success of the conservation and preservation projects is guaranteed.
Spanish experience inspires Saudi researcher to preserve local heritage
Spanish experience inspires Saudi researcher to preserve local heritage
- Our historical sites are of profound importance not only to the peninsula, but to the region as well,” said Al-Kadi
- Saudi vision is a turning point for many students abroad to come back and help the Kingdom achieve its goals
Ramadan boosts dates demand as Saudi sector sees seasonal rush
RIYADH: Dates hold an important place in Saudi Arabia’s spiritual and cultural fabric, and their association with hospitality and religious tradition makes them a staple of iftar tables during Ramadan.
The holy month also reshapes one of the Kingdom’s most established agricultural sectors, with the date industry shifting gear. Faith-driven consumption and a gifting culture amplifies demand throughout supermarkets and premium packaging segments.
Economic adviser Fadhel Al-Buainain told Arab News that while demand for dates remained steady across the year, domestic consumption rose noticeably during Ramadan.
“Recently, there has also been growing global demand for Saudi dates. However, local demand increases noticeably during Ramadan due to the association of dates with the iftar meal,” he said.
Many people prefer to break their fast with fresh rutab dates or, when these are unavailable, with dried dates, as per tradition. Along with the religious aspect, dates are also valued for their nutritional benefits — valuable during long fasting hours.
Al-Buainain said Ramadan was “a driver for increased sales and exports,” reinforcing the sector’s seasonal momentum, but he stressed Ramadan did not represent the industry’s true economic peak.
“I do not believe it creates a peak season, despite its marketing importance,” he said. “The true peak season is the period following the date harvest, when markets flourish and large quantities are sold as farm output supplies the market. However, in the retail sector, Ramadan can be considered one of the important seasons in which marketing activity increases.”
The distinction highlights a key dynamic in the industry. While Ramadan accelerates retail turnover and boosts demand in supermarkets and gift markets, production cycles and wholesale auctions remain closely tied to harvest season.
“The peak of date sales occurs at the time of harvest, both in terms of sales volume and prices,” Al-Buainain said.
Date auctions, he added, are linked to the beginning of the harvest, after which large quantities are sold wholesale — the most important channel for producers — before reaching retailers and consumers. By contrast, sales during Ramadan are mostly from previously harvested stock.
“For example, the upcoming Ramadan will arrive before this year’s harvest season,” he said. “Therefore, the dates being sold are from last year’s crop. This further illustrates the point.”
Despite the seasonal rise in consumption, Al-Buainain said production volumes remained sufficient to prevent significant price volatility.
“Production volumes are large, and supply exceeds demand,” he said, adding that traditional dates marketed through conventional channels were expected to maintain stable prices. Any price increases are largely confined to processed or attractively repackaged varieties.
“Price increases are linked to dates packaged in modern, gift-like formats or processed dates that include added ingredients such as nuts and others. Traditional dates, however, still have stable prices,” he said.
Most dates available locally are domestically produced, with limited processed products manufactured abroad. Price differences are primarily determined by type, quality and packaging rather than Ramadan-related demand pressures.
“There are also some practices carried out by wholesale traders through auctions, where buyers bid against one another, artificially driving prices up, filming these scenes and broadcasting them to influence prices. This cannot be taken as a reliable benchmark,” Al-Buainain told Arab News.
At a structural level, the sector has expanded significantly in recent years. Saudi date exports reached SAR 1.695 billion in 2024, according to the National Centre for Palms & Dates, citing data from the General Authority for Statistics. Production exceeded 1.9 million tonnes, with exports reaching 133 countries — a 15.9 percent increase in value compared to 2023.
Since the launch of Vision 2030, export value has grown by 192.5 percent between 2016 and 2024.
Saudi Arabia, the world’s second-largest date producer, is home to more than 33 million palm trees — representing 27 percent of the global total — across approximately 123,000 agricultural holdings.
Dates also recorded the highest self-sufficiency ratio among fruits at 121 percent, according to the General Authority of Statistics.
Al-Buainain described dates as a strategic commodity and a core component of the Kingdom’s food security framework.
The sector holds significant potential to further support agricultural diversification, provided it is backed by clearer long-term strategy, improved pest control and stronger coordination across the value chain.
“The date sector needs a clear strategy that ensures maximum benefit from dates produced in the Kingdom. It also requires full protection from expatriate labor that focuses solely on profit and harms the date sector, its future, and its sustainability,” he said.
“The sector also needs a final solution to pests that damage palm trees, including the red palm weevil, as well as the establishment of a national date company to purchase crops, process, package, distribute, and export them, in addition to entering date-based industries to generate added value for the economy.”
