Overview
Saudi Dates is a national product and a leading agricultural crop in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Its sector holds more than 37 million palm trees, and its production exceeds 1.9 million tons annually.[2][5]
The Kingdom holds an advanced standing in the global date trade. The value of its date exports reached about SAR 1.938 billion in 2025, and the reach of Saudi dates extended to more than 125 countries.[1]
Date Production in the Kingdom
The total date production across the Kingdom is more than 1.9 million tons, formed by the yield of more than 37 million palm trees on the land of the Kingdom.[2][10]
Date varieties in the Kingdom exceed 300 varieties, reflecting the richness and diversity of national agricultural production across the different regions.[10]
Date Production Regions
The Qassim region topped the ranking of the Kingdom's most productive regions for dates at the end of 2023 with 30% and a total of 578.1 thousand tons, followed by the Riyadh region with 24% (453.1 thousand tons), then Madinah with 18% (343.1 thousand tons), then the Eastern Province with 14% (258.7 thousand tons).[2]
The Qassim region, the Riyadh region and the Eastern Province support a large share of the national date production volume.[2]
The Dates of Madinah
The Madinah region is the third most productive region in the Kingdom for dates, with a total production of 344 thousand tons annually, representing the yield of more than 8 million palm trees in Madinah.[2]
Saudi Date Exports
The value of the Kingdom's date exports during 2025 reached about SAR 1.938 billion, recording a rise of 14.3% compared with 2024.[1]
The export value rose by 59.5% over the past five years, climbing from SAR 1.215 billion in 2021 to levels approaching two billion riyals in 2025, and the reach of Saudi dates extended to more than 125 countries around the world.[1]
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia ranked first globally in date exports in 2021 by value, with a total of SAR 1.215 billion.[3]
Saudi date exports to the Republic of India rose by 25% during 2025 compared with 2024.[6]
The National Center for Palms and Dates
Markets and Date Events
The logistics services system at the Buraydah International Dates Carnival contributes to supporting trade movement and widening the reach of dates to local, regional and international markets.[4]
The Azka Farmers' Market in the Jameel district of Jeddah offers a seasonal experience celebrating Saudi dates and their diversity, with a selection of local varieties from the various regions of the Kingdom, and with the participation of more than 80 farmers, producers and local entities.[7]
Strategy for Developing the Date Sector
The Deputy Governor of the Madinah region, Prince Saud bin Nahar bin Saud, chaired a meeting to develop the date sector in the region, aiming to make use of its agricultural and productive potential, improve production quality, enhance the competitiveness of its dates, and expand investment opportunities across the stages of the value chain, in pursuit of the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030.[8]
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How much does the Kingdom produce in dates? A: More than 1.9 million tons annually, formed by the yield of more than 37 million palm trees.[2]
Q: What is the value of the Kingdom's date exports? A: About SAR 1.938 billion during 2025, a rise of 14.3% over 2024.[1]
Q: How many date varieties are there in the Kingdom? A: More than 300 varieties.[10]
Q: Which regions of the Kingdom produce the most dates? A: The Qassim region with 30%, followed by the Riyadh region with 24%, then Madinah with 18%, then the Eastern Province with 14%.[2]
Q: How far do Saudi date exports reach? A: To more than 125 countries around the world.[1]
Conclusion
The Kingdom's date production reached more than 1.9 million tons from more than 37 million palm trees, and the value of its exports reached about SAR 1.938 billion in 2025.[5][1]
Related topics on the platform include date palm cultivation in Saudi Arabia, Al-Ahsa Oasis and Buraydah.
Related topics
- Agricultural heritage and traditional knowledgeDate Palm Cultivation in Saudi ArabiaDate palm cultivation in Saudi Arabia combines food production with knowledge of irrigation, pollination and fruit care. Al-Ahsa illustrates its links to farming heritage.
- HistoricAl-Ahsa OasisThe world's largest self-contained oasis according to Guinness World Records, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2018 as a cultural landscape of human interaction with the environment.
- HistoricSaudi HoneySaudi honey is the product of apiaries spread across the regions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and its yield varies between grazing ranges depending on the abundance of blossoms and their flowering periods. It receives official attention in licensing, training, marketing, and the organisation of production seasons and festivals.
- Hospitality, food and drinkArabic Coffee in Saudi ArabiaArabic coffee in Saudi Arabia brings together preparation and hospitality, with roast levels, flavourings and customs varying among regions and households.
- RegionQassim RegionAn inland Najdi region administered from Buraydah, associated with trading towns, date cultivation and markets, and the geographical corridor of Wadi Al Rummah.
- RegionMadinah RegionA western Saudi region combining Madinah, Yanbu, AlUla and other governorates, with Islamic landmarks, oases, archaeological sites and a Red Sea coastline.
- National visions and programmesSaudi Vision 2030: A Framework for TransformationAn introduction to Saudi Vision 2030, its social, economic and institutional themes, and the relationship between implementation programmes, long-term targets and measured results.
- RegionBuraydah CityBuraydah is a Saudi city in Qassim Province, known for a dates economy in which Qassim's production reaches more than 390,000 tons annually and its dates are exported to more than 100 countries. The city is home to the water tower registered in the National Register of Modern Urban Heritage and to the Aqilat Museum, and it has been included in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network for gastronomy.
- RegionEastern ProvinceA large eastern Saudi region administered from Dammam, combining Gulf cities, the oases of Al Ahsa and Qatif, desert areas, energy industries and maritime commerce.
- RegionRiyadh RegionA central Saudi administrative region encompassing the national capital and varied Najdi governorates, with connections to Diriyah, oasis settlement, government and modern economic activity.
Sources & references
- Saudi Press Agency (SPA) — value, growth and reach of the Kingdom's date exports
- Saudi Press Agency (SPA) — date production in the Kingdom and its distribution across regions
- Saudi Press Agency (SPA) — first place globally in date exports in 2021
- Saudi Press Agency (SPA) — the Buraydah International Dates Carnival
- Saudi Press Agency (SPA) — palm and date sector data for 2025
- Saudi Press Agency (SPA) — Saudi date exports to India
- Saudi Press Agency (SPA) — the Azka Farmers' Market in Jeddah
- Saudi Press Agency (SPA) — developing the date sector strategy in Madinah
- National Center for Palms and Dates — about the Center
- National Center for Palms and Dates — the palm and date sector in figures