From Madinah with love - entrepreneur shares Saudi dates with the world
Arab News speaks with Moroccan entrepreneur who imports Saudi dates to Germany
‘My dream is that German customers will discover the quality and diversity of Saudi dates’
Updated 15 April 2022
David Kampmann
EPPSTEIN, Germany: Dates have always been omnipresent in Nora Blouza’s life. The 37-year-old is from southern Morocco, where her late grandfather once owned a date plantation. “Dates would always be in the house,” she told Arab News.
When Blouza’s Dutch-Moroccan husband came to Germany due to his work in 2018, she followed him with their three children after having lived in the Netherlands for 17 years.
“Originally we planned to just stay for three years,” she said. But the coronavirus pandemic thwarted the family’s plans.
They had to stay, and due to the lockdown they spent most of their daily life at home. To Blouza it was a double-edged sword.
“The bad news was that we were staying at home. The good news was that we started to develop ideas and put them to good use.”
It was during Ramadan last year that her daughter brought up a topic that gave Blouza a new idea.
“She reminded me of the high amounts of dates people consume, especially during Ramadan, of the many different types and tastes.”
It was then that Blouza had the idea of launching her own date business in Germany and importing large amounts. Although she was raised on dates, the business itself was something new to her.
As Blouza is Moroccan, her home country and its neighbors Algeria and Tunisia were the first that came to mind as potential suppliers, but none of them met her criteria.
“The amounts there aren’t as large as I’d like,” she said. “Neither could they provide the kind of diversity that I wanted.”
Diversity and quality were her top priorities. Eventually, it was dates from Saudi Arabia that she saw as meeting her criteria.
“Saudi Arabia has many different and often unique types of dates,” she said. “Ajwa, for example, is something that only grows in the city of Madinah.”
Blouza undertook research and found a supplier that suited her ideas best: Nakheel Alya, a company in Madinah.
Although it sells its products to 30 countries, Nakheel Alya is relatively new, having been founded in 2015.
Despite that, it “met my criteria,” said Blouza, who fulfilled her dream and launched her business, Nakheel Fruits, in August 2021.
Boxes of different products such as natural dates, date cookies, and dates covered in chocolate and filled with almonds or walnuts, fill the company’s warehouse in Eppstein, a town in the state of Hesse at the edge of the Taunus mountains.
“We mostly supply supermarkets and individual clients that order our products via our website,” said Blouza
While individual clients are from all over Germany, the supermarkets are mostly from Hesse, with demand rising during Ramadan.
Despite her original plans to stay in Germany for only three years, she now wants to stay indefinitely. “I like it here. And I love my project.”
She hopes that her business will grow and expand nationwide. “My dream is that we will develop further and that German customers will discover the quality and diversity of Saudi dates and date products.”
Greening the rooftops: Can green roofs take root in Saudi Arabia’s cities?
As giga-projects reshape the Kingdom, experts push for cooler, biodiverse cities
Updated 21 February 2026
Rahaj Jambi
RIYADH: On Feb. 11, Riyadh marked a pivotal moment in Saudi Arabia’s sustainability journey with the official launch of the Saudi Green Building Alliance.
Announced during the Developers and Green Building Leaders Forum, the initiative signals a shift toward embedding environmental performance at the core of Saudi Arabia’s rapidly expanding built environment.
“SGBA is Saudi Arabia’s national green building council — an independent, nonprofit platform that brings together government, developers, investors, designers, contractors, and solution providers to accelerate sustainable, low-carbon, climate-resilient buildings and cities across the Kingdom,” said Mohammed Al-Surf, founder and CEO of SGBA.
“Our role is to align the market, support standards and best practice, build capacity, and help translate Vision 2030 and the Saudi Green Initiative into practical action in the built environment.”
The Saudi Green Building Forum participated in an international event in January 2026. (Photo courtesy of Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Arabia is in the midst of one of the largest urban development cycles globally. New districts are taking shape, giga-projects are redefining skylines, and cities such as Riyadh and Jeddah are expanding at unprecedented speed. According to Al-Surf, the defining question is whether this growth will lock in decades of inefficiency and emissions — or set a global benchmark for resilient, climate-smart cities aligned with Vision 2030 and the Saudi Green Initiative.
Across leading global cities, green rooftops are no longer seen as decorative luxuries but as functional infrastructure. In Saudi Arabia, they intersect directly with national priorities around livability, emissions reduction, and quality of life.
“Green rooftops are not just aesthetics — they are urban infrastructure. In a Vision 2030 context, they can support: Heat reduction and comfort in cities, Energy efficiency and peak load reduction, Healthier, more livable neighborhoods, Nature-based solutions that improve biodiversity and stormwater performance. They’re a practical way to bring climate resilience and quality of life into everyday buildings.” Al-Surf said.
DID YOU KNOW?
• Energy savings and asset value gains can offset upfront installation costs over time.
• Underused building tops represent one of the largest untapped spaces in urban Saudi Arabia.
• In arid climates, climate-fit design makes greening viable with non-potable water reuse.
“In Saudi cities, where roofs are a major source of heat gain, vegetated systems can significantly reduce surface temperatures, lower indoor cooling demand, and extend the lifespan of roofing membranes by protecting them from thermal stress.”
In Riyadh, where summer temperatures frequently exceed 45°C, urban heat is more than discomfort — it is a public health issue. Green rooftops can help mitigate the urban heat-island effect by cooling surrounding microclimates and reducing heat stress, particularly in dense neighborhoods. Their impact extends beyond temperature regulation, contributing to environmental resilience and community wellbeing.
Can green roofs work in the desert?
Skepticism persists about whether rooftop greening can truly succeed in arid, high-heat environments. The challenges are undeniable: Water scarcity, extreme summer temperatures, dust accumulation, intense ultraviolet exposure, and long-term maintenance demands all complicate rooftop planting in desert climates.
Yet technological and design advances are reshaping what is possible. Drought-tolerant native species, engineered lightweight soil substrates, drip irrigation systems, and smart water reuse technologies are making rooftop greening increasingly viable. Climate-responsive design remains essential.
Across global cities, green rooftops are increasingly viewed not as decorative extras but as functional components of urban infrastructure. In Saudi Arabia, they align with national priorities around livability, emissions reduction, and improved quality of life. (Photo courtesy of Unsplash)
Addressing misconceptions is equally important. Al-Surf said: “Three common misconceptions that green roofs are only for Europe. Not true — they just need Saudi-appropriate design. They require lots of water. (But ) not with xeriscape principles, smart irrigation, and non-potable reuse. They’re just decoration. (In reality) They’re thermal, social, and resilience infrastructure.”
One of the most persistent myths is that green roofs waste water. In practice, modern systems prioritize efficiency through xeriscaping principles, soil moisture sensors, weather-based irrigation controls, and the use of treated or non-potable water.
Olivia Jurado, an eco-holistic wellness practitioner who helped establish a regenerative rooftop garden in Dubai, points to regional examples as proof of concept.
“Many people believe it is not possible to grow green spaces in the desert,” she said. “But with the right planting methods and knowledge of what thrives locally, urban rooftop gardens can grow and flourish — and they don’t require excessive tending once mature.”
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She underscores the broader ecological and social dividends, from supporting pollinators such as bees and butterflies to creating small biodiversity corridors within cities and offering experiential learning spaces for schools and workplaces.
“Green rooftops provide so many benefits for the community and the environment. Including measurably reducing temperature, providing green spaces for wellbeing and connection to nature. They also help build community by providing a green space for connection, while tending to the space provides further learning opportunities. Rooftop and urban gardens also contribute to supporting and inviting pollinators, such as bees and butterflies, which are so important to our ecosystems.” Jurado said.
Many people believe that it is not possible to grow green spaces in the desert but it has been proven regionally that with the right planting methods and knowing the types of plants that thrive in the region (especially with regenerative gardening practices) urban rooftop gardens can and do indeed grow and thrive and they do not require much tending to once they are mature.
Cairo-based organization Schaduf helps city dwellers grow leafy greens in hydroponic rooftop gardens. (Photo courtesy of Schaduf)
“Every building and community should be encouraged and incentivized to grown their own gardens, it would not only beautify the urban spaces and help cool them, it would also provide a space of wellbeing for their respective communities.”
“It would be amazing to see urban rooftop gardens peeking from the tops of a majority of buildings by 2030.”
For developers, cost often becomes the deciding factor. Green roofs require upfront investment and are frequently cut during value engineering. However, when positioned as long-term performance infrastructure rather than aesthetic add-ons, the financial case becomes more compelling. Reduced cooling loads translate into energy savings; protected roofing membranes extend asset lifespan; premium amenities enhance property value; and stronger ESG credentials improve market positioning.
“The business case is strongest when you frame green roofs as: Energy and thermal risk management, Asset value and tenant premium, Lifecycle savings, Certification and market access,” Al-Surf explained. While upfront costs are real, returns improve when systems are climate-fit, scaled appropriately, and designed as functional amenities rather than symbolic gestures.
Looking ahead, the Saudi Green Building Alliance plans to develop national guidelines tailored to arid climates, establish demonstration rooftops across regions, and cultivate local expertise.
As Saudi Arabia’s skylines continue to rise, rooftops remain vast and largely untapped surfaces. By 2030, they could evolve into gardens, habitats, and cooling systems integrated into everyday urban life — proof that even in the desert, cities can grow greener from the top down.
