Khalas Dates
Khalas Dates are a local date variety widely cultivated in Al-Ahsa Governorate in the Eastern Province of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. They ripen in the middle of the summer agricultural season and are among the edible fruits at all ripeness stages.
Characteristics of Khalas Dates
Khalas date is one of the types of palm trees with moderate pollination needs, good yields, and medium size. Their fruit is oval-shaped and initially apricot-yellow. It transitions into light amber during its Rutab (semi-ripe) stage and finally turns reddish amber, covered with soft, transparent, honey-colored skin.
Specifications and standards of Khalas Dates
Khalas Dates, along with sixteen other date varieties in Saudi Arabia, are subject to national reference standards for date quality established by the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture (MEWA) to facilitate local and international trade, encourage high-quality production, improve economic returns for producers and exporters, and protect consumer interests. The agricultural quality standards apply to producers, traders, importers, and exporters.
Khalas Dates categories
Khalas Dates categories are divided into three main categories: Premium, First, and Second. For the premium category, the minimum weight of each date is estimated at ten g, where five hundred g would include fifty dates.
For the first category, the minimum weight of a single date is seven g, and no more than seventy-one dates should weigh five hundred g. In the second category, which represents the minimum standard specifications for dates, the minimum weight of an individual date is not less than five g, and the number of dates in five hundred g is one hundred dates.