A delegation from the National Center for Palms and Dates visited Alibaba Group Holding's headquarters in China to enhance the global market for Saudi dates, as reported by the Saudi Press Agency on Saturday.
The visit aimed to establish a partnership allowing 23 Saudi date companies to utilize Alibaba's e-commerce platform for international marketing. During the forum, Saudi Arabia and Chinese companies were showcased, and discussions focused on increasing trade exchanges. Agreements and memoranda of understanding were signed to strengthen Saudi date exports.
This visit follows a collaboration agreement signed in Riyadh last December between Saudi date companies and Alibaba Group. Over the past year, Saudi date exports to China have increased by 120 percent.
In the first quarter of 2024, Saudi Arabia exported dates worth SR644 million ($172 million), a 13.7 per cent increase compared to SR566 million during the same period last year.
Saudi Arabia exports dates to numerous countries, with significant growth in exports to Austria, Norway, Argentina, Brazil, Portugal, Germany and Canada, exceeding 100 percent. Exports to Morocco increased by 69 percent, Indonesia by 61 percent, South Korea by 41 percent, the UK by 33 percent, the US by 29 percent, and Malaysia by 16 percent.
Saudi Arabia owns over 36 million palm trees and an annual date production of more than 1.6 million tons, securing its position as the top exporter of dates. The Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture aims to enhance the quality of farm products by implementing good agricultural practices and adopting quality standards in factories.