Al-Ahsa Dates

Al-Ahsa Dates are a national product with diverse varieties in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The storage and harvesting of each variety differ depending on the kind of Al-Hasawi date and the final product. Dates are a prominent agricultural product in Al-Ahsa, marketed throughout Saudi Arabia and exported worldwide.

Al-Ahsa Oasis

Al-Ahsa dates originate from Al-Ahsa Oasis, the largest natural palm oasis in the world, covering an area of 85.4 km². It is recognized as a World Heritage cultural site and acts as a cultural and tourist hub for Saudi Arabia. The fertility of its land, the abundance of palm trees, and its water springs have earned it the title of the largest palm oasis in the middle of the desert. This oasis is administratively part of Al-Ahsa Governorate, which is associated with the Eastern Province, the largest province in Saudi Arabia by area. It is the fifth Saudi site inscribed on the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Sites list.

Dates in Al-Ahsa Oasis

Al-Ahsa Oasis is home to approximately 2.7 million date palms out of the four million palm trees in the Eastern Province. It produces more than 213,000 t of dates annually. Rutab production in Al-Ahsa exceeds six thousand t per year.

Among the varieties of dates grown in Al-Ahsa Governorate are Al-Ghar, Al-Tayyar, Al-Mijnaz, Al-Khalas, Al-Shishi, Al-Khunaizi, Al-Shbibi, Al-Wusaili, Al-Shahl, Al-Hilali, Al-Zamli, Umm Rahim, and Al-Hatimi. The ripening of these varieties is gradual throughout the date season, coinciding with the summer months.

Products made from Al-Ahsa dates

Al-Khalas is the most renowned date variety from Al-Ahsa and stands out as the highest producer. According to Al-Ahsa Municipality's documentation for the factories and cafes that participated in "Wayya Al-Tamr Ahla 2022" festival, cafes across the Eastern Province have started using Al-Ahsa dates in their offerings. They create specialty beverages and baked goods by incorporating a mix of local dates, bringing a unique flavor to their products while avoiding any ingredients or dates sourced from outside Al-Ahsa.

Al-Mamrous is a traditional dish that highlights the customary use of dates in Al-Ahsa. It is a traditional Saudi dessert whose popularity originated in Al-Ahsa Governorate. The term "Mamrous" in Arabic refers to a practical dish preparation step. It involves hand-mashing the dates, ghee, and flour.

Al-Ahsa Dates Festival

The ninth edition of Al-Ahsa Processed Dates Marketing Festival (Wayya Al-Tamr Ahla 2024) showcased Al-Ahsa's date products. This edition saw a 40 percent revenue increase compared to the previous festival, with fifty-two factories participating in the production and transformation of dates. The festival attracted around 2.2 million visitors, making it one of the most significant gatherings within Saudi Arabia and internationally.

Electronic marketing of Al-Ahsa dates

In 2020, coinciding with the COVID-19 pandemic, Al-Ahsa Municipality launched "Souq Tamr" electronic platform to help date traders and producers, showcase their products, enhance their competitive abilities, and develop their businesses. The platform's launch improved consumer service and expanded marketing channels for Al-Ahsa products.

Despite the decline of COVID-19 pandemic in 2022, Al-Ahsa Municipality relaunched "Souq Tamr" electronic platform through its official website. This platform is dedicated to marketing dates from factories and stores participating in Al-Ahsa Processed Dates Marketing Festival. It promotes palm trees and date products throughout the year and offers multiple consumer options on a single platform.

King Abdullah City for Dates in Al-Ahsa

King Abdullah City for Dates in Al-Ahsa spans an area of 1.3 million m, featuring 166 commercial stores and forty-five model factories, with different areas ranging from five thousand to twenty thousand m per factory. The city also features special service centers for the care and processing of dates, including a packing and handling center that receives all dates entering the city, weighs and tests their quality, identifies all varieties entering the center, and sorts them by grade. The dates are then moved to a sterilization center, where irradiation eliminates and protects them from insects, microbes, and viruses. They are then transferred to the city's date trade center, where domestic and international companies and factories collaborate to produce and market dates.

Global export of Al-Ahsa dates

Dates are one of Saudi Arabia's vital economic resources, not only as a national and cultural symbol but also as an important export product. In 2022, Saudi Arabia ranked first globally in date exports, with a total export value of SAR1.280 billion. Al-Ahsa farmers and traders focus on producing high-quality varieties of dates, leveraging surplus production to achieve the expected investment benefits. The sector has been transformed from a local agricultural product to a globally popular economic commodity, with events accompanying the harvest season, including an auction for Al-Hasawi dates and the creation of innovative products made from Al-Ahsa dates.