His Excellency Minister of Environment, Water, and Agriculture and the Chairman of the Council of Members of the International Date Council, Eng. Abdulrahman Abdulmohsen AlFadley praised the Council's efforts in enhancing cooperation and partnerships between date-producing countries, supporting the palm and date sector, ensuring its sustainability, and contributing to food security.
This came during His Excellency's speech at the fourth session of the Council of Members Meeting, which is chaired and hosted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The session saw the participation of various high officials, delegations from participating countries, and representatives of relevant organizations, all gathered to review the outcomes of the decisions made at the previous session and the progress of the executive programs.
AlFadley emphasized the economic, social, and environmental significance of the palm and dates sector, highlighting its crucial role in achieving food security and sustainable agricultural and rural development. He pointed out that the dates sector has seen an 11% increase in total production over the past five years. He also highlighted the role of the International Date Council in strengthening partnerships and cooperation between date-producing countries, advancing agricultural and productive processes, and linking them with sectors such as manufacturing, marketing, and trade. Additionally, the council supports and empowers research studies in the field of palm and dates.
His Excellency pointed out the Kingdom's efforts in supporting the work and programs of the Council since its establishment, highlighting that the Council aims to achieve several objectives, the most important of which is the establishing of a global specialized platform to provide accurate data on the palm and dates sector worldwide. Additionally, the Council focuses on conducting studies to develop innovative by-products that enhance the value of the sector.
The International Date Council includes members from the following countries: Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Tunisia, Sudan, Mauritania, Yemen, Oman, Palestine, Somalia, Lebanon, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, and Qatar. The Council aims to enhance international cooperation to develop the palm and dates sector, improve production, manufacturing, and marketing, support scientific research and innovative agricultural practices, and raise the income of those working in the dates industry, all of which contribute to rural development and sustainable food security.