Kuwait secures third spot in Saudi date imports for 2024
Kuwait was one of the top importers of dates from Saudi Arabia, holding a 6% share valued at 84 million riyals (approximately 6.9 million dinars) last year.
• The United Arab Emirates accounted for the lion’s share of Saudi date imports, with a 31% share of the total, valued at 460 million riyals in 2024.
Kuwait ranked third among the largest importers of Saudi dates, holding a 6% share valued at 84 million riyals (approximately 6.9 million dinars) in 2024, according to Al Qabas newspaper.
According to data from the General Authority for Statistics, the United Arab Emirates accounted for the lion’s share of Saudi date imports, with a 31% share of the total, valued at 460 million riyals in 2024.
Yemen ranked second in importing dates from Saudi Arabia, holding a 9% share worth 134 million riyals, followed by Kuwait with a 6% share, Morocco with 77 million riyals, and Jordan in fifth place with an import value of 58 million riyals during the past year.
Saudi Arabia second-largest producer of dates in Arab world
Saudi Arabia is the second-largest Arab producer of dates, with 1.64 million tons in 2023, while Egypt ranked first with 1.87 million tons, according to data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
According to the National Center for Dates and Palms, Saudi Arabia boasts 300 different types of dates and more than 37 million palm trees, with over 137 factories specializing in date products and processing industries.
Due to the high quality of Saudi dates, demand for the product has increased globally, with exports rising from 579 million tons in 2016 to about 1.5 billion tons in 2024.
