Slew of deals highlight a renewed and reinforced Saudi-US partnership

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At the Riyadh summit, Elon Musk revealed he had presented Tesla robots to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and US President Donald Trump. (AFP)
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Updated 15 May 2025
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Slew of deals highlight a renewed and reinforced Saudi-US partnership

  • A veritable Who’s Who of corporate America and Saudi industry participated in one-day investment summit in Riyadh on Tuesday
  • The agreements reached showcase Saudi Arabia’s push to become a global innovation hub with support from US tech giants

RIYADH: When top officials, CEOs and investors from Saudi Arabia and the US convened in Riyadh on Tuesday for the Saudi-US Investment Forum, the focus of the high-profile gathering was on economic cooperation and innovation.

The one-day forum, held at the King Abdulaziz International Conference Center, highlighted major deals and partnerships in technology, artificial intelligence, energy, digital infrastructure, fintech, healthtech and industrial innovation — all aligned with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 development blueprint.

The tone was collaborative and forward-looking, emphasizing commerce and technology as both nations seek to deepen ties in emerging sectors. Officials from both governments, along with Fortune 500 executives, used the platform to announce investments and outline long-term strategies for mutual growth.

The forum’s agenda was broad and ambitious, covering cutting-edge industries and critical infrastructure.

Sessions throughout the day focused on themes such as technology and AI innovation, renewable and traditional energy cooperation, digital infrastructure expansion, fintech and financial services, health and biotech advancements, and industrial and advanced manufacturing partnerships. Panel discussions included ministerial dialogues, CEO panels and executive roundtables designed to spur high-impact engagement in these sectors.




The Saudi-US Investment Forum highlighted major deals and partnerships in technology, artificial intelligence, energy, digital infrastructure, fintech, healthtech and industrial innovation. (AFP)

 

High-level participants

Saudi Investment Minister Khalid Al-Falih opened the forum by highlighting its timing “at a historic moment” of renewed commitment between the two nations. He pointed to the exceptional delegation of US business leaders in attendance, reflecting nearly 90 years of close relations since the first Saudi-US agreements.

The forum coincided with a US executive visit to Saudi Arabia, underscoring the strategic importance both sides place on economic partnership. In his remarks, Al-Falih emphasized that strengthening the bilateral investment relationship would benefit both economies and “the world at large.”

Notably, the list of attendees read like a Who’s Who of corporate America and Saudi industry. According to the forum program and media reports, CEOs and senior executives from companies including BlackRock, Palantir Technologies, Citi, IBM, OpenAI, NVIDIA, Meta, Amazon, Qualcomm, Alphabet (Google’s parent), Tesla and Franklin Templeton were present. On the Saudi side, key figures included Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman — architect of Vision 2030 — as well as ministers overseeing the finance, energy, technology, tourism and health sectors. 

The presence of these leaders highlighted the forum’s focus on expanding commercial ties. Even high-profile tech entrepreneur Elon Musk was spotted on stage, seen in conversation with Saudi Minister of Communications and IT Abdullah Al-Swaha during the event.

The diversity of participants from government and industry ensured that discussions ranged from AI chips and cloud computing to sustainable energy projects and digital economy regulation.




Saudi Investment Minister Khalid Al-Falih opened the forum by highlighting its timing “at a historic moment” of renewed commitment between the two nations. (SPA)

Tech and AI partnerships

If one theme dominated the forum, it was artificial intelligence and technology. A series of headline-making deals underscored Saudi Arabia’s push to become a global hub for AI and advanced tech — with major support from US tech giants.

At the center of many announcements was HUMAIN, a newly launched Public Investment Fund-backed AI startup. 

NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang made headlines by unveiling a landmark agreement to supply Saudi Arabia with cutting-edge AI hardware. NVIDIA will sell hundreds of thousands of its latest AI chips to HUMAIN over the next five years, starting with an initial shipment of 18,000 high-performance Blackwell GPU chips. 

In a joint statement, NVIDIA and HUMAIN said they plan to build “AI factories” with up to 500 megawatts of capacity in Saudi data centers, housing those advanced GPUs and related infrastructure.

“This marks a significant step toward positioning the Kingdom as a leader among data- and AI-driven economies,” said Dr. Abdullah Al-Ghamdi, president of the Saudi Data & AI Authority, regarding the partnership. The goal is to establish Saudi Arabia as a global leader in AI, GPU cloud computing and digital transformation — in line with the Kingdom’s aim to become an international AI hub outside the US.

Another US chipmaker, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), announced its own multibillion-dollar partnership with HUMAIN. AMD CEO Lisa Su confirmed a $10 billion strategic collaboration to deploy 500 MW of AI computing infrastructure in Saudi Arabia over five years.

Under the deal, AMD will provide a mix of advanced CPUs, GPUs and software expertise to help build HUMAIN’s next-generation cloud platform for AI.

“Together, we are building a globally significant AI platform that delivers performance, openness and reach at unprecedented levels,” Su said in a statement. Notably, HUMAIN is working with multiple chipmakers to avoid overreliance on a single vendor, ensuring a resilient supply of AI hardware.

Also in the semiconductor space, Qualcomm signed a memorandum of understanding to develop new data center processors with Saudi partners. The San Diego-based firm — best known for its mobile chips — will work with HUMAIN on specialized CPUs for data centers, potentially leveraging technology from its Nuvia acquisition to deliver server-grade processors.

This flurry of chip deals was enabled in part by supportive policies: under a new US initiative, American tech suppliers like NVIDIA and AMD received clearance to pursue AI partnerships with Saudi entities, reflecting a government-backed effort to promote “AI diplomacy” with trusted allies.

Cloud computing giant Amazon Web Services (AWS) also played a prominent role. At the forum, AWS announced a strategic partnership with HUMAIN to develop a dedicated “AI Zone” in Saudi Arabia. AWS and HUMAIN plan to invest more than $5 billion to build this AI Zone — a cluster of state-of-the-art data centers and AI development facilities.

According to AWS CEO Andy Jassy, the zone will feature Amazon’s most advanced cloud infrastructure, including UltraCluster networking for faster AI model training, a full suite of services like SageMaker and Bedrock, and training programs to develop Saudi AI talent. 

This initiative comes on top of AWS’s previously announced $5.3 billion plan to launch a cloud region in Saudi Arabia by 2026. The AI Zone is a separate investment, focused specifically on accelerating AI innovation. HUMAIN has committed to build and deploy its AI solutions on AWS and help local startups access the platform’s tools.

Together, these moves by NVIDIA, AMD, Qualcomm and Amazon represent an unprecedented transfer of AI technology and infrastructure to Saudi Arabia as the Kingdom races to become a leader in the data-driven economy. 




Tech entrepreneur Elon Musk was spotted on stage, seen in conversation with Saudi Minister of Communications and IT Abdullah Al-Swaha during the event. (AFP)

The forum’s tech deals are expected to benefit the US as well. One of Saudi Arabia’s newest firms, DataVolt, announced plans to invest $20 billion in AI data centers and energy infrastructure in the US.

Additionally, a coalition of US and Saudi companies — including Alphabet (Google’s parent), Oracle, Salesforce, AMD, Uber and DataVolt — is set to invest a combined $80 billion in “cutting-edge transformative technologies” across both countries. 

While specific details were limited, the White House noted that these investments will span a range of high-tech sectors in Saudi Arabia and the US, illustrating a two-way investment flow catalyzed by the forum.

Energy, infrastructure, new industries

Beyond AI and computing, the forum spotlighted a range of sectors central to Saudi Arabia’s economic diversification plans. Energy, in particular, remains a cornerstone of US-Saudi cooperation — not only in traditional oil and gas, but increasingly in clean energy and sustainability.

Saudi officials used the event to reaffirm the Kingdom’s role as a stable oil supplier to global markets, even as it accelerates its pivot to renewables. They also highlighted joint initiatives in solar, wind and emerging energy technologies. Vision 2030’s focus on sustainability was echoed in forum sessions on “Energy & Sustainability,” which emphasized balancing energy security with climate-conscious innovation.




New Murabba CEO, Michael Dyke (L), NEOM Deputy CEO Rayan Fayez (C) and Jerry Inzerillo, CEO of the Diriyah Gate Development Authority, attend a conference during the Saudi-US investment forum in Riyadh on May 13, 2025. (AFP)

One standout project discussed was the massive green hydrogen venture at NEOM, Saudi Arabia’s futuristic city on the Red Sea. Rayan Fayez, deputy CEO of NEOM, described the $8.4 billion green hydrogen plant being developed as a joint venture between NEOM, Saudi utility ACWA Power and US-based Air Products.

This project — one of the world’s largest hydrogen initiatives — will use solar and wind power to produce clean hydrogen for export, showcasing how US companies are investing in Saudi sustainability efforts.

“Building a city and a region of this scale requires significant infrastructure,” Fayez said, citing 500 kilometers of fiber-optic cable already laid in NEOM, along with new data centers, solar and wind farms, and 194 kilometers of installed water pipelines.

These infrastructure projects are creating opportunities for American firms; Fayez noted that NEOM is “doing business with 83 American companies” as it builds this high-tech metropolis.

Tourism, smart mobility, real estate

Traditional sectors like tourism and real estate were also featured as key growth areas. In a panel on Saudi Arabia’s giga-projects, Jerry Inzerillo, CEO of the Diriyah Gate Development Authority, discussed the $63 billion transformation of historic Diriyah — the birthplace of the Saudi state — into a global heritage and leisure destination.

Inzerillo noted that the project, which preserves UNESCO World Heritage sites while adding museums, resorts and entertainment venues, is on time and on budget.

“We just welcomed our three millionth visitor (to Diriyah) this week … We have 45,000 workers currently on the project,” he said, adding: “Right now we’re doing business with 83 American companies” involved in the development. 

This highlights the role of US firms — from engineering and construction to hospitality — in supporting Saudi Arabia’s non-oil economic transformation.




Jerry Inzerillo, CEO of the Diriyah Gate Development Authority, discussed the $63 billion transformation of historic Diriyah — the birthplace of the Saudi state — into a global heritage and leisure destination. (AN photo by Basheer Saleh)

Transportation and smart mobility also emerged as a prominent topic. Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi praised Saudi Arabia as one of Uber’s fastest-growing markets, with 140,000 Saudi drivers serving 4 million riders across 20 cities.

Khosrowshahi used the forum to announce plans to introduce autonomous vehicles in the Kingdom. “You will see autonomous vehicles in Saudi Arabia this year,” he said, noting that Uber is working with 18 autonomous technology partners to ensure safe deployment.

He argued that self-driving vehicles will make streets safer and eventually offer more affordable transportation, as robotic systems “continue to learn from all the miles driven all over the world.”

The vision of Saudi cities with driverless taxis — supported by US technology — illustrated the forum’s emphasis on next-generation infrastructure.

Fintech and healthtech

Financial services and fintech were also on the agenda, reflecting Saudi Arabia’s drive to modernize its financial sector through open banking, digital payments, venture capital and more.

While no specific banking deals were announced at the forum, the presence of major US financial leaders — including Citigroup CEO Jane Fraser and BlackRock CEO Larry Fink — signaled strong interest in Saudi capital markets. Discussions reportedly included financing Vision 2030 projects and expanding two-way capital flows.




Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi (2nd Left) praised Saudi Arabia as one of Uber’s fastest-growing markets, with 140,000 Saudi drivers serving 4 million riders across 20 cities. (AFP)

With Saudi Arabia opening its stock market to more foreign investors and launching large investment funds, US financial institutions are positioning to play a significant role in the Kingdom’s economic liberalization. 

Healthcare and healthtech likewise emerged as key areas of collaboration, aligning with Saudi efforts to digitize healthcare and advance biotech research. Panels on health tech and biotechnology explored potential partnerships in pharmaceutical development, digital health platforms and medical investment.

Although most initiatives were still in the exploratory stage, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Health is reportedly in ongoing talks with US healthcare firms about telemedicine and hospital joint ventures.

The forum underscored that as Saudi Arabia modernizes its healthcare system — a priority under Vision 2030’s Quality of Life program — US companies in medical technology, biotech and healthcare management see growing opportunity.

Vision 2030 alignment

Throughout the forum, speakers consistently tied individual deals to the broader goals of Vision 2030 — Saudi Arabia’s blueprint for diversifying its economy away from oil by the end of the decade.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the driving force behind Vision 2030, took the stage to emphasize the scale of US-Saudi business underway. He announced that more than $300 billion in Saudi-US deals had been signed, a figure that impressed attendees.

These agreements spanned sectors including technology, defense and infrastructure. Looking ahead, the crown prince said Saudi Arabia is targeting $600 billion in further investment opportunities with the US in the coming years — with the potential for that number to grow to $1 trillion as new projects take shape.




Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced that more than $300 billion in Saudi-US deals had been signed, a figure that impressed attendees. (AFP)

He noted that the United States is one of the “largest partners of the Saudi Vision 2030 reform agenda,” underscoring that joint investments are a central pillar of the bilateral economic relationship. He also highlighted that about 40 percent of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund — the $900 billion-plus sovereign wealth fund — is invested in the US. This financial interconnection is foundational to initiatives like the forum.

US representatives also praised the Kingdom’s transformation. US President Donald Trump (attending as part of a state visit) avoided politics in his public remarks, focusing instead on economic cooperation.

He commended the “phenomenal transformation” underway in Saudi Arabia, attributing it to the leadership of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed. Trump pointed to a striking milestone: Saudi Arabia’s non-oil revenues now exceed its oil revenues — a dramatic shift from just a few years ago. He cited this as evidence that Vision 2030 is producing real economic change.

The president also praised Saudi Arabia’s ability to preserve its cultural heritage while “embracing a forward-looking, modern Vision 2030 agenda.” These affirmations from the US side bolstered confidence in the Saudi business environment and encouraged American CEOs to deepen their engagement.




Housing and Urban Development Minister Majed Al-Hogail detailed plans for smart cities and affordable housing — areas where US engineering firms and smart technology providers are contributing their expertise. (SPA)

Several panel discussions looked toward the future, examining how both nations can collaborate on long-term trends. In a tourism panel, Saudi Tourism Minister Ahmed Al-Khateeb predicted that by 2030, tourism will contribute as much to Saudi GDP as oil does today — a bold forecast reflecting the country’s shifting economic priorities. 

Al-Khateeb said Saudi Arabia is increasingly recognized as “a land of green mountains, stunning Red Sea islands and a welcoming culture,” rather than solely an oil-exporting nation. This evolving image has been supported in part by US-backed investments in hospitality and entertainment.

A partnership reinforced

In another discussion, Housing and Urban Development Minister Majed Al-Hogail detailed plans for smart cities and affordable housing — areas where US engineering firms and smart technology providers are contributing their expertise.

A panel on women in business, reflecting the social development dimension of Vision 2030, highlighted progress in female leadership within Saudi companies. US multinationals are playing a role through training programs and mentorship initiatives.

While these conversations were not centered on high-dollar deals, they showcased the human and cultural dimension of US-Saudi collaboration — emphasizing knowledge-sharing and societal change.

By the forum’s end, a clear narrative had emerged: Saudi Arabia and the US are leveraging their long-standing partnership to build a new economic future based on innovation, sustainability and shared prosperity.

The announcements — from multibillion-dollar AI investments and cloud zones to joint tourism initiatives and potential fintech collaborations — all serve Saudi Arabia’s ambition to become a diversified economic powerhouse by 2030. At the same time, they support US goals of expanding global markets for American technologies and deepening relationships with stable partners.

As Saudi Investment Minister Khalid Al-Falih summarized, the Saudi-US partnership is being “renewed and reinforced” for a new era — evolving beyond its traditional oil foundation into a broader alliance across multiple strategic sectors.

The Saudi-US Investment Forum showcased this transformation in real time, with high-profile announcements and symbolic handshakes that are likely to shape the economic relationship between the two countries for decades to come.

With significant capital flows and technology transfers now underway, both nations are betting that deeper commercial ties will generate mutual benefits — creating jobs, spurring innovation and linking two major economies that, as officials often reminded attendees, are vital to each other’s success in an unpredictable global environment.

The event’s success has already sparked discussions about establishing the Saudi-US Investment Forum as a recurring platform — one that can track progress, drive new initiatives and continue advancing Vision 2030 and the next phase of US-Saudi cooperation.


Linguistic code-switching new norm for young Saudis

Updated 16 July 2025
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Linguistic code-switching new norm for young Saudis

  • Expert tells Arab News that ‘multi-dimensional issue’ deserves recognition

RIYADH: In Saudi Arabia’s increasingly globalized society, especially among young people in major cities, there is an easy blending of languages, often switching between Arabic and English in the same conversation.

This phenomenon, known as code-switching, has become a linguistic norm that reflects shifting social dynamics, culture and identity.

A 2024 study conducted by Kais Sultan Mousa Alowidha at Jouf University found that bilingual Saudis often switch between Arabic and English depending on the context, particularly in casual or professional settings.

The blending of languages can be seen not as a dilution of heritage, but a reflection of its outward-looking generation. (Supplied)

Saudi students who have studied or grown up abroad find themselves flipping between languages almost unconsciously.

Abdullah Almuayyad, a Saudi senior at the University of Washington, Seattle, who has spent more than half his life in the US, spoke to Arab News about his experiences with both languages.

“Comfort really depends on context,” he said. “Day-to-day I’m equally at ease in either language, but the setting matters.”

HIGHLIGHTS

• The King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language in Riyadh has launched several initiatives to strengthen Arabic fluency, both for native speakers and non-native learners.

• A 2024 study from Jouf University found that bilingual Saudis often switch between Arabic and English depending on the context, particularly in casual or professional settings.

In business settings, he defaults to English because of his education and professional exposure, but casual or family settings feel more natural in Arabic.

“Sometimes my friends tease me because I’ll begin a sentence in Arabic, hit a complex business concept, and flip to English mid-stream.”

This mental switching, he explained, is often tied to topic-specific language associations.

Some topics are assigned to a specific language in his brain. “Once the topic surfaces, the corresponding language follows automatically.”

At an institutional level, efforts to preserve and promote Arabic are gaining traction in Saudi Arabia.

The King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language in Riyadh has launched several initiatives to strengthen Arabic fluency, both for native speakers and non-native learners.

Through academic partnerships, digital tools, and training programs, the academy is playing a key role in ensuring Arabic remains a vibrant and accessible language.

The institute reflects a broader national push to reinforce cultural identity amid the linguistic shifts brought on by globalization.

Majd Tohme, senior linguist at SURV Linguistics in Riyadh, told Arab News that code-switching is “a very multi-dimensional issue.”

He emphasized that the debate should not hinge on whether code-switching is good or bad.

“What we need to ask ourselves is, does code-switching work in the everyday context? And if it works, isn’t that the purpose of any linguistic pattern?”

He added that language purism might miss the point entirely.

“You don’t have to get involved in that language puritanism … and code-switching is not really something new. Languages are living organisms that evolve,” he explained.

Many words we consider native today, he noted, have foreign origins, such as from Persian or European languages, particularly in science and technology.

Still, there are concerns about the erosion of Arabic. Tohme acknowledged the threat but said it is not exclusive to Arabic.

“It is a threat to all languages,” he said, especially in the era of globalized communication where the internet has become a shared space dominated by English.

“You now have one internet that the world is sharing,” he explained. “It’s like one huge playground where you have 8 billion people trying to communicate with each other.”

And yet, there are signs of balance.

Almuayyad, for instance, actively challenges himself and his peers to preserve Arabic fluency.

“In eighth grade, even though my friends and I preferred English, we agreed to speak only Arabic until it felt natural,” he said. “Later, when my Arabic caught up, I switched and spoke only English with friends who wanted practice.”

For many, especially in Saudi Arabia’s larger cities, bilingualism no longer means choosing between one language over the other.

The constant nudge to challenge each other keeps both languages active and growing.

The Jouf University study found that bilingual Saudis strongly identify with both languages and do not believe that speaking English negates their cultural identity.

It also concluded that code-switching is often required in larger cities due to the abundance of non-Arabic speakers in public and professional environments.

Therefore, code-switching, especially in the Kingdom, appears to be less about identity loss and more about functionality.

As Saudi Arabia opens up globally and embraces multiculturalism under Vision 2030, this blending of languages could be seen not as a dilution of heritage, but a reflection of its outward-looking generation.

According to Tohme, the psychological impact of going abroad for a few years then returning to your home country also cannot be understated.

Students develop a certain nostalgia for home while spending so many years abroad speaking extensively in a foreign language. They may develop the determination to make a conscious effort to strengthen their Arabic-language skills again.

Almuayyad is someone who can relate to that and says if he had spent his whole life in the Kingdom, his language development might not have been that different.

“I see a lot of people in Saudi who use English freely because global media and online content are so dominant,” he explained.

Yet, he admits that growing up in one place can limit the push to step outside of your linguistic comfort zone. “My exposure to two cultures forced me to practice that stretch constantly.”

 


Saudi deputy FM meets European Commissioner in Brussels

Waleed Elkhereiji (L) and Dubravka Suica in Brussels. (Supplied)
Updated 15 July 2025
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Saudi deputy FM meets European Commissioner in Brussels

  • The two sides discussed ways to enhance cooperation in various fields and other topics of common interest

BRUSSELS: Saudi Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Waleed Elkhereiji met European Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Suica in Brussels on Tuesday.

The two sides discussed ways to enhance cooperation in various fields and other topics of common interest, the Foreign Ministry said on X.

Haifa Al-Jadea, head of the Kingdom’s mission to the EU, was among the officials in attendance.

 


Saudi Arabia satisfied with Syrian measures to achieve stability after clashes

Syrian security forces take a position in the Mazraa area, near Sweida on July 14, 2025. (AFP)
Updated 15 July 2025
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Saudi Arabia satisfied with Syrian measures to achieve stability after clashes

  • Kingdom condemned continued Israeli attacks on Syrian territory, interference in its internal affairs, and the destabilization of its security and stability

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia expressed its satisfaction with measures taken by the Syrian government to achieve security and stability, maintain civil peace, and achieve sovereignty over all Syrian territory on Tuesday.

The Kingdom also condemned continued Israeli attacks on Syrian territory, interference in its internal affairs, and the destabilization of its security and stability, in flagrant violation of international law and the Syria-Israel Disengagement Agreement signed in 1974.

The condemnation comes after Israel launched strikes on Tuesday against Syrian government forces in the Druze-majority region of Sweida, saying it was acting to protect the religious minority.

Damascus had deployed troops to Sweida after clashes between Druze fighters and Bedouin tribes killed more than 100 people.

Israel announced its strikes shortly after Syria’s defense minister declared a ceasefire in Sweida city, with government forces having entered the city in the morning.

The Kingdom renewed its call on the international community to stand by Syria, support it during this stage, and confront ongoing Israeli attacks and violations against Syria, Saudi Press Agency reported.


KSrelief distributes food baskets to displaced people in Lebanon, Sudan and Afghanistan

Updated 15 July 2025
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KSrelief distributes food baskets to displaced people in Lebanon, Sudan and Afghanistan

  • The aid agency distributed 120 food baskets to Afghan refugees who returned from Pakistan and settled in Omari camp near the Torkham border crossing
  • Over the past decade, KSrelief has run thousands of humanitarian initiatives in nearly 92 countries

RIYADH: The Saudi aid agency KSrelief has distributed hundreds of food baskets to families in need in Sudan, Lebanon, and Afghanistan as part of ongoing efforts to alleviate the food security crisis in various countries.

KSrelief announced that 4,250 individuals will benefit from 700 food baskets distributed to displaced families affected by the armed conflict in Sudan, specifically in Al-Kamalin district of Gezira state.

In Afghanistan, the aid agency distributed 120 food baskets to Afghan refugees who returned from Pakistan and settled in Omari camp near the Torkham border crossing. At least 720 Afghans benefited from food baskets as part of a dedicated security and emergency project in Afghanistan for the 2025-2026 period.

Approximately 2,785 displaced Syrians living in Lebanon have received 577 food baskets from KSrelief volunteers in the western Beqaa Valley. This initiative is part of a project aimed at distributing food aid to support the most needy families in Lebanon, which has been significantly impacted by drought this summer.

Over the past decade, KSrelief has run thousands of humanitarian initiatives in 92 countries. Since its establishment in 2015, the aid agency has distributed food baskets to numerous countries, including Somalia, Mali, Bangladesh, Libya, and Palestine, among others.


Diriyah Dates Season celebrates sector’s growth and heritage

Updated 15 July 2025
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Diriyah Dates Season celebrates sector’s growth and heritage

  • Governor praises initiatives as exports hit $453m, production tops 1.9m tonnes
  • Ministry of Culture is also represented with a booth showcasing artisans specializing in palm-based crafts as part of the Year of Handicrafts

RIYADH: Diriyah Gov. Prince Fahd bin Saad bin Abdullah has praised the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture for developing the date production sector in the Kingdom and enhancing the quality of dates as a national product.

He highlighted the ministry’s support programs for farmers and initiatives that add value to dates, aligning with Vision 2030 goals, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

His remarks came during the inauguration of the Diriyah Dates Season and accompanying exhibition, which runs until July 24.

The event, organized by the National Center for Palms and Dates, aims to boost the sale of Saudi dates locally and globally, and provide an insight into Diriyah’s heritage through cultural and social activities.

The exhibition features booths for date vendors, processed date products, palm by-products and items from family-run cottage industries. It also has restaurants, cafes, food trucks, workshops for adults and children, a date auction zone and a horse parade.

The Ministry of Culture is also represented with a booth showcasing artisans specializing in palm-based crafts as part of the Year of Handicrafts.

The Kingdom’s palm and date sector is growing rapidly. According to figures from the General Authority for Statistics production surpassed 1.9 million tonnes in 2024, with SR1.7 billion ($453 million) worth of dates exported to 133 countries, up significantly from the previous year.

This growth reflects the Kingdom’s strong production capacity and government efforts to improve quality, expand global outreach and develop supply chains.