ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s diplomatic mission in Saudi Arabia announced on Sunday the country’s envoy to the kingdom, Ambassador Ahmad Farooq, held a meeting with a top International Dates Council official to discuss cooperation in palm cultivation and the marketing of dates.
Pakistan imports various varieties of dates from the Middle East, particularly to meet the high demand during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, when people across the country begin their sunset iftar meal with dates.
However, Pakistan also produces large quantities of the fruit, especially in regions like Khairpur in Sindh and Turbat and Panjgur in Balochistan. The government is now planning to capitalize on this production to earn substantial revenue by focusing on exports.
“Ambassador @AmbFarooq met with Dr. Abdulrahman Suliman Alhabib, CEO of @intdcorg,” Pakistan’s embassy in Riyadh said in a social media post on X. “Discussion focused on enhancing cooperation in palm cultivation, date processing, and marketing sectors to boost growth at industrial level.”
Based in Saudi Arabia, the International Dates Council focuses on promoting and developing the date palm industry within the kingdom and abroad.
The council works with various stakeholders, including governments and private sector entities, to enhance the date industry globally.
Pakistan also plans to hold an international date festival in October in collaboration with the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in Islamabad.
The authorities hope the festival would boost the export of Pakistani dates and significantly contribute to the national economy.
