Date farmers at Buraidah seasonal date market sold dates worth more than SR12 million in a single day.
Nearly 1,400 trucks loaded with more than 210 packets of sukkari dates entered the market with a price tag of SR60 per pack.
The festival is registering an increase in sales every day, sometimes exceeding SR25 million a day.
The city receives more than 200,000 tons of the different types of dates, which represent the product of more than seven million palm trees.
The festival lasts 75 days and receives more than 45 types of the most famous dates in the world.
Every year, the festival kicks off in mid-August as a celebration of the harvest, where farmers have been selling their crop at Al-Jeradah market for the last 50 years.
The celebration of the season evolved in terms of its location and the services it provides. Qassim authorities allocated a special space for the festival, in addition to other specialized areas for the commercial activities of dates’ industry.
Ali Al-Faiyzi, one of the biggest farmers in the industry, said that the crop is very good this year in terms of quantity and quality. “Farmers are now savvier with the advanced methods of farming. They give more attention and care to their fields knowing that the industry is making good profits, which sometimes reaches millions,” he added.
He said that job opportunities in the palm and dates industry and seasonal jobs for youth in particular are available so they can boost their income if they wish.
Khaled Al-Naqeedan, CEO of Buraidah Date Festival, said that the beginning of the festival recorded unprecedented figures and provided several job opportunities for Saudis.
“The secretariat of Qassim made available vast courts and locations for the festival, and sites for the operations of packaging and transportation,” he said.
He added that there are trucks to transport dates to several regions in the country.
Authorities in Qassim supervise the packaging process to prevent cheating and to standardize the quantities in each individual pack, almost 3.50 kg a pack.
Buraidah date farmers achieve record sales
Buraidah date farmers achieve record sales
Experimental farm in Al-Lith looks into future of Saudi Arabian agriculture
- Research initiative reflects strategic transformation
JEDDAH: An experimental farm in Saudi Arabia’s Al-Lith Governorate is one of the research initiatives reflecting the strategic transformation taking place in the Kingdom’s agricultural sector.
The farm uses highly efficient, sustainable production models that combine scientific research with commercial application, contributing to strengthening the country’s food security system and the sustainability of water resources.
Located in the Ghumaiqa Center on an area of about 10 hectares, the cutting-edge farm is a testing platform for modern agricultural technologies that tackle the challenge of water scarcity.
The farm includes developed open fields and modern greenhouses, supported by smart irrigation encompassing drip and sprinkler irrigation alongside surface and subsurface technologies.
All the systems operate via smart controls that enable the monitoring of water consumption and ensure improved efficiency, thereby achieving a balance between agricultural production and water conservation.
The farm also uses treated and diluted low-salinity seawater.
It aims to diversify agricultural water sources, reduce reliance on freshwater, and open new horizons for agriculture in coastal and semi-arid environments.
The project represents a promising investment opportunity in the field of smart agriculture, enabling the development of commercially scalable production models, particularly for high-value vegetables and fruits, while reducing operational costs associated with water and energy, enhancing the economic feasibility of future agricultural projects.
In addition, the project contributes to transferring and localizing agricultural expertise, supporting local food supply chains, and creating an attractive environment for agricultural investment.
This aligns with Sustainable Development Goals and enhances the efficiency of the private sector in adopting innovative agricultural solutions.
Yahya bin Abdulrahman Al-Mahabi, the director of the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture office in Al-Lith Governorate, told the Saudi Press Agency that the project represented the future of agriculture in the Kingdom.
He explained that the vision was based on investing in technology, enhancing the return on water per unit, and integrating scientific research with investment opportunities.
Al-Mahabi spoke of the experimental farm as a modern, scalable and replicable model applicable in several regions of the Kingdom, particularly in coastal environments.
Al-Mahabi highlighted the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture’s commitment to supporting distinctive projects that contributed to achieving food security while developing rural areas and enhancing agricultural production efficiency, in line with the objectives of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.
