This food division is a significant contributor to income diversification and economic growth in the Kingdom, with ambitions to make Saudi dates the premier choice globally.

The National Center for Palm and Dates reported a SR88 million ($23.3 million) increase in value during the first quarter of 2024, reaching SR644 million ($171.7 million), compared to SR566 million in the same quarter of 2023.

In 2023, the value reported by NCPD increased by 14% to SR1.462 billion, up from SR1.280 billion in 2022.

By the end of 2023, 119 countries had imported Saudi dates.

Mohammed Al-Nuwairan, CEO of NCPD, discussed Saudi Arabia's expanding date export portfolio in an interview with Arab News in March.

The portfolio includes derivatives like molasses and pastes, allowing Saudi Arabia to increase its export presence beyond the Kingdom's borders.

East Asian countries, particularly Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, and China, are major recipients of Saudi dates due to their high demand and the nutritional value and production quality of Saudi dates.

The total value of date and date by-product exports has risen by 152.5 percent since 2016, reaching SR1.462 billion in 2023, representing a compound annual growth rate of 12.3 percent.

Saudi date exports surpassed 100 percent to Austria, Norway, Argentina, Brazil, Portugal, Germany, and Canada.

Exports to Morocco, Indonesia, and South Korea increased by 69 percent, 61 percent, and 41 percent, respectively.

Exports to the UK, US, and Malaysia grew by 33 percent, 29 percent, and 16 percent.

Overall, Saudi date exports saw significant growth to various countries.