JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia ranked first globally in date exports by value for the fourth consecutive year in 2025, with shipments worth SR1.938 billion ($517.7 million), according to data from the International Trade Centre. The figure represents an increase of about 14 percent from 2024, highlighting the sector’s growing contribution to the national economy and efforts to expand agricultural exports under Saudi Vision 2030, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Saturday. Ahmed Al-Mousa, CEO of the National Center for Palms and Dates, told the SPA that the achievement could be attributed to the Saudi leadership’s support and to cooperation between government agencies, private businesses and other stakeholders. These efforts have helped develop supply chains, improve export efficiency and expand the reach of Saudi dates in international markets, he said. Al-Mousa added that the results reflected the quality and diversity of Saudi dates, alongside the sector’s production efficiency, strengthening the Kingdom’s position in global markets and its presence in international retail outlets. He also highlighted the center’s initiative to support Saudi date exports and facilitate access to international markets as a key driver of this growth. Saudi dates now reach more than 125 countries, Al-Mousa said, adding that their quality and variety helped “meet consumers’ needs and tastes worldwide.” The Kingdom produces more than 1.9 million tonnes of dates and has more than 37 million palm trees. The National Center for Palms and Dates runs programs and initiatives to “improve the sector’s value chain, raise efficiency and strengthen the international presence of Saudi dates as a safe, high-quality food product,” according to the SPA. Saudi date exports have grown steadily in recent years. Their value reached SR1.215 billion in 2021, when the Kingdom topped the global ranking by export value, and SR1.28 billion in 2022, when shipments reached 116 countries. Exports rose to SR1.462 billion in 2023, up 14 percent, followed by SR1.695 billion in 2024, an increase of 15.9 percent. Compared with 2016, export value has risen by 192.5 percent, with an average annual growth of 12.7 percent. Saudi Arabia ranks second globally in date production, accounting for about 17 percent of worldwide output, while its date self-sufficiency rate exceeds 125 percent. Beyond its economic importance, the date palm holds a prominent place in the Kingdom’s cultural heritage. Al-Ahsa Oasis, which covers 85.4 sq. km and contains more than 2.5 million palm trees, was inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 2018. In 2020, it was recognized by Guinness World Records as the world’s largest self-contained oasis. In 2019, “Date palm, knowledge, skills, traditions and practices” was added to UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity through a joint nomination involving Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries.