Qassim Date Output Tops 584,000 Tonnes From 10.8 Million Palms
Saudi Arabia's Qassim region produced 584,127.80 tonnes of dates from 10,867,246 palm trees held across 13,403 agricultural holdings, according to National Center for Palms and Dates data cited by Sabq and Al-Weeam. Eight seasonal date destinations organise the marketing of the crop under a platform run with the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture. No export volumes, prices or year-on-year comparisons were published.
Date production in Saudi Arabia's Qassim region reached 584,127.80 tonnes, according to statistics from the National Center for Palms and Dates cited by Sabq. The crop comes from a base of 10,867,246 palm trees distributed across 13,403 agricultural holdings, confirming the central Saudi region as one of the kingdom's leading date-producing and date-marketing areas.
Al-Weeam published the same three figures and reported that output above half a million tonnes reflects the breadth and diversity of farming in Qassim, alongside growing marketing activity and seasonal date events across the region's governorates. Both outlets attribute the data to the National Center for Palms and Dates.
What the figures cover
The published numbers describe a production and asset base rather than a trade flow. Neither Sabq nor Al-Weeam gave a reference year, an export share, a price level or a comparison with the previous season, and neither broke the tonnage down by variety. The 13,403 holdings figure counts agricultural units, not companies, so a single operator may control more than one.
The ratios implied by the published data are straightforward. Spread over 10,867,246 palms, 584,127.80 tonnes works out at roughly 53.8 kg of fruit per tree. Divided among 13,403 holdings, average output is about 43.6 tonnes each. Both ratios point to a sector dominated by small and mid-sized farms rather than by a handful of industrial plantations.
Eight seasonal destinations
Qassim hosts eight seasonal date destinations, organised with the support and follow-up of the Emir of Qassim region, that combine production, marketing and economic events. According to Sabq, they give farmers and producers several outlets to reach consumers and visitors directly, and put the range and quality of Qassim varieties on display across the region's governorates.
- Buraidah International Dates Carnival
- Unaizah International Season
- Sukkariyat Al-Mithnab Al-Hamra Season
- Shaqra Al-Asyah Dates Festival
- Al-Badaya Dates Season
- Al-Rass Dates Market Season
- Al-Bukayriyah Dates Season
- Jadah Al-Khabra and Riyadh Al-Khabra Dates Festival
Al-Weeam reported that the seasons also stimulate the commercial and tourism activity attached to the sector, in addition to promoting Qassim date varieties and their quality to buyers and visitors.
A platform to govern sales
The events run under the Seasonal Markets Platform launched by the National Center for Palms and Dates in cooperation with the Qassim branch of the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture. According to both outlets, the platform is designed to organise and govern the buying and selling of dates and to raise the efficiency of the agricultural marketing system.
The stated aims are a more structured framework for supporting farmers and producers, wider marketing opportunities for the crop, higher economic value for local output, and continuity of the farming and commercial activity built around palms and dates. Sabq framed the seasons as evidence of coordination between the bodies responsible for the sector.
For processors, packers and importers, the practical value of the announcement lies in the scale it confirms rather than in anything it prices. More than half a million tonnes moves through eight organised outlets in a single region, while grade split, variety mix and cost remain to be established at market level.
