Saudi Date Production Achieves Self-Sufficiency Rate of 124%

The Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture has announced that Saudi Arabia has achieved a self-sufficiency rate of 124% in date production, with an annual output exceeding 1.6 million tons. This milestone is the result of efforts by the ministry and its affiliated entities to develop and expand the palm date industry through innovations in agricultural techniques and improvements in production quality.

Date palm cultivation covers a vast area of approximately 165,000 hectares. The Riyadh region leads in date production with an annual yield of 436,112 tons, followed by Qassim with 390,698 tons. Other major producers include Madinah with 263,283 tons and the Eastern Region with 203,069 tons. Smaller regional producers include Hail (73,298 tons), Al Jouf (65,020 tons), Makkah (64,095 tons), Asir (55,225 tons), Tabuk (52,792 tons), Najran (9,837 tons), Al Baha (2,969 tons), the Northern Borders (1,314 tons) and Jazan (111 tons).

This achievement was highlighted as part of the Harvest Season campaign, which aims to boost the production and consumption of local products, diversify into new fruits, improve awareness about agricultural products, and support local farmers by enhancing their profitability through increased familiarity with seasonal fruit cultivation options.