A date palm fruits commercially from year five to seven and fully from ten, then for decades; the fruit itself is sold within the season or cold-stored for a year. The route is the farm, so the horizon is agricultural land in Saudi Arabia, Egypt or the Jordan valley, held for a generation.18DerivedMed
Exit depth · farms and private operators
RoutesFruit: exporters and packers under seasonal contracts, the Buraidah and Madinah wholesale markets, retail brands at Ramadan. Farm: private sale of land and trees, usually to a local operator; no listed pure play of scale, and foreign ownership of Saudi farmland is restricted.1819MedActivitySaudi Arabia exported 351,489 t of dates worth US$452 m in 2024 from 1.93 m t produced; FAO farm-gate price about US$3.06/kg, export unit value US$1.29/kg. Medjool from Madinah farms lists at US$5–7/kg by grade; Ajwa retails at SR 100–150/kg in the Kingdom. Farm transactions are private.192021ReportedMedCostPacker and exporter margins between farm gate and export; grading losses; cold storage if held past season. Farm sale: agent and transfer costs, and a buyer who will price trees on age and variety.1920DerivedMedTimeFruit: sold within weeks of harvest in September–October or on Ramadan demand. Farm: months to a year to find a buyer; valuation rests on yield records and water rights.DerivedMed
Context for Liquidity, not a rating. Definitions → · Themes covering this market are listed at the end of the brief.
Since last update
The 2026/27 season is opening with a ~3% larger global table-date crop (1.67 Mt, INC). Tunisia is up 14% and Israel down 21%. Saudi exports are forecast above 220,000 t. Commodity and mid-tier Medjool face price pressure from expanding Egyptian supply, while Super Jumbo grades stay firm; Israeli Medjool was €4.39/kg EXW Poland in late July.1617
Why Σ4
Prices are set by exporters and seasonal contracts with no benchmark. The route is farms and private operators, most of them unlisted. Exit means selling an operating business.
The Σ grade is ΣΟΦΙΑ's opinion of how practical the asset is to hold. Not a view on return. How it is judged →
Valuation
Exit
Custody
Title and transfer
Access
Intangible premium
Full report 7 sections · 21 sources · open ↓close ↑
A ten-million-tonne crop grown almost entirely in the Middle East and North Africa, of which the world's largest producer exports almost nothing and the second-largest has turned exports into a Vision 2030 target. This page covers production and its concentration, the export trade, the variety premium that separates a religious commodity from a supermarket one, the Gulf's producing and re-exporting role, and the integrity questions of a crop sold largely by name. No prices are carried as live values.
Two countries, one region, and a ranking that depends on the year and the source.
Egypt
1.87 m t (2023)
Saudi Arabia
1.64 m t (2023)
Algeria
1.32 m t
Iran
c.1.0 m t (2022)
Pakistan
733 kt (2022)
Iraq
715 kt (2022)
UAE
397 kt (2022)
FAO data via Statista (2023) and Al Jazeera (2022); the top eight producers are all in the Middle East and North Africa.15High
Discrepancy logged: for 2024, one FAOSTAT-based compilation ranks Saudi Arabia first at 1.93 m t and Egypt second at 1.75 m t; the Saudi National Center for Palms and Dates reports Saudi production "exceeding 1.9 m t" in both 2024 and 2025; Statista's 2023 FAO figures rank Egypt first at 1.87 m t. The two countries are within revision range of each other, and the ranking should be stated as "Egypt and Saudi Arabia, in either order, at c.1.6–1.9 m t each".671Med
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Country
Share of world (2023–28 model)
Note
Egypt
17.5%
Nile Valley and Delta; Zaghloul, Hayany, Siwi; consumes most of its crop83
Iraq historically the world's largest producer and exporter before 1990810
A Springer-published forecast models world output at 10.1–11.0 m t a year through 2028; FAO reported growth of 4.2% between 2024 and 2025 per a trade compilation.89Med
IIThe export trade
The largest producer exports little; the exporters are the branders and the re-exporters.
SAR 1.94 bn
Saudi exports 2025 (c.$517–533 m), to over 125 countries High24
SAR 1.695 bn
Saudi exports 2024, +15.9%, to 133 countries; +192.5% since 2016 High7
c.8%
Share of Saudi production exported; domestic consumption absorbs the rest Med9
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Exporter
Position
Note
Iran
Largest by volume per its national committee; soft dark varieties for Asian and Middle Eastern markets
Exports rose from 13 kt (1989) to 120 kt (1994) as Iraq's collapsed under embargo310Med
Saudi Arabia
Largest by value in one trade source (over $340 m a year); state-led export programme
Public Investment Fund's Al Madinah Heritage Company (July 2023) to scale Ajwa34
UAE
Third; leading gross exporter historically because of re-exports
Net exports far smaller than gross; Al Foah among the largest processors10311
Tunisia, Algeria, Pakistan
Net exporters since 1991
Deglet Nour (Tunisia, Algeria); Pakistan to Asian and African markets103
Discrepancy logged: Iran and Saudi Arabia are each described as "the world's largest exporter", Iran by volume, Saudi Arabia by value, within the same trade article. Both claims rest on national statements rather than a common dataset. Saudi export value is the only figure here with an official statistical source.32Med
World date exports were c.260 kt in 1961 and passed 400 kt by 1970 and again by 1989–90; the FAO's historical analysis noted that, net of imports, the leading exporters were Iran, Pakistan, Tunisia, Algeria and Saudi Arabia.10 Saudi exports have since risen to a scale, over 147 kt and SAR 703 m as early as 2017, 22% of it to the UAE, that has re-ordered the league.12High
IIIVarieties and the premium
A commodity at the bottom, a religious and gift product at the top.
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Variety
Origin
Market position
Ajwa
Medina, Saudi Arabia
Premium; religious significance drives demand regardless of volume; PIF-backed expansion94
Medjool
Morocco, US (California), Israel, Jordan, South Africa; also Saudi Arabia
"King of dates" in Western retail; largest share of the Saudi market by one vendor report1314Low for the share claim
Domestic and African bulk markets; Egyptian dates 30–50% cheaper than Iranian or Saudi premium varieties93
The premium is not about sugar or size. Ajwa carries a religious association that makes demand insensitive to price; Medjool carries a Western retail brand built in California and Israel; Deglet Nour carries a European habit. Everything below those tiers competes on cost, which is why Egypt, with the largest crop, has the weakest export position.93Med
Diamond parallel: "Ajwa from Medina" is a provenance claim that multiplies the value of a gradable agricultural product, in the same way "Kashmir" does for a sapphire, and, like a sapphire, the claim is made on a label the buyer cannot verify at the point of sale. The Saudi state's answer is the same as Botswana's: put the brand under public ownership and control the supply chain from tree to tin. Hyp
IVIndustry structure
State institutions, sovereign capital and a fragmented grower base.
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Actor
Role
Note
National Center for Palms and Dates (Saudi Arabia)
Statistics, export promotion, the Saudi dates export initiative
Reports to the Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture27
Large-scale processor and packer; among the top companies in the Saudi market
Vendor listing; scale not independently verified here11Low
Buraidah International Dates Carnival; Liwa and other Gulf festivals
Seasonal auction and wholesale events
Buraidah reported as the venue where export growth is visible15
Growers
Millions of smallholders across MENA; c.37 m palms in Saudi Arabia alone
Water scarcity and climate the binding constraints49
A market-research vendor values the world dates market at $31.4 bn in 2026 rising to $44.1 bn by 2031; the basis is unstated and the figure is shown for orientation only.4Low
VIntegrity
A crop sold by variety name and origin, with no grading authority outside the exporting state.
The premium tiers are defined by a place-name (Medina, Qassim, Biskra) and a cultivar name that a consumer cannot test. Saudi exporters supply phytosanitary certificates from the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture together with ISO 22000, HACCP and halal certification for container trade, which certify safety and process rather than variety or origin.14 No independent audit of variety mislabelling in the international date trade was found for this page, and none is asserted. Med
Compliance reading: for a Gulf re-exporter the exposure is origin laundering, bulk Egyptian or Iranian fruit repacked under a Gulf label, which customs data would show as the historical gap between gross and net UAE exports. The control is the same as for gold doré: match declared origin to the import manifest, not to the retail box. Hyp
VIIndicators to monitor
Recurring data points that move this analysis. No live values are carried on this page.
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Indicator
Source & cadence
What it tells you
Production by country
FAOSTAT, annual (with revisions)
Resolves the Egypt–Saudi ranking; regional concentration
Saudi export value and destinations
NCPD / GASTAT, annual (April)
Vision 2030 export programme; Ajwa scaling
UAE gross and net exports
UAE customs; UN Comtrade HS 0804.10
Re-export share and origin-laundering exposure
Festival and carnival auction results
Buraidah, Liwa, Al-Ahsa events, harvest season
Premium-variety price discovery; not carried here
Water allocation and palm-count surveys
National agriculture ministries
Supply constraint
Ramadan timing
Lunar calendar
Annual demand peak shifting through the seasons
VIISources
Numbered in order of first citation. FAO-derived statistics and Saudi official releases are primary; trade and vendor sources are marked. Sources 18–21 added 23 Oct 2026 for the holding-horizon and exit-depth fields.
Show 21 sources
Statista, "The World's Largest Producers of Dates", 28 Feb 2025, FAO 2023: world 9.82 m t; Egypt 1.87 m t; Saudi Arabia 1.64 m t; Algeria 1.32 m t; top eight all MENA.
Saudi Press Agency, "Saudi Date Exports Hit Record SAR1.9 Billion in 2025, Up 14.3%", 25 Apr 2026, SAR 1.938 bn; +59.5% since 2021; over 125 countries; Vision 2030 framing.
Toucan Trade Group, "Top 10 Dates Exporting Countries in 2025", 10 May 2026, over 9 m t; Egypt consumes its own; Iran largest exporter by volume; Saudi largest by value (>$340 m); UAE third and re-exports; MENA >80% (with source 8). Trader. Med
AGBI, "Saudi Arabia's dates exports grew 14% to $533m in 2025", 27 Apr 2026, 37 m palms; production >1.9 m t; PIF Al Madinah Heritage Company (Jul 2023); Mordor Intelligence $31.39 bn (2026) and $44.07 bn (2031). Low for the market-size figures.
Al Jazeera via Shafaqna, "Biggest producers-exporters of date in the world", Mar 2024, FAO 2022 by country: Egypt 1.73 m t; Saudi 1.6 m t; Algeria 1.24 m t; Iran 1.0 m t; Pakistan 733 kt; Iraq 715 kt; UAE 397 kt; Oman 377 kt; Tunisia 369 kt.
The Science Agriculture, "10 World's Biggest Countries in Dates Production", Feb 2026, FAOSTAT 2024: Saudi Arabia 1,927,556 t; Egypt 1,750,302 t; 36–37 m Saudi palms. Med
NCPD / Argaam, "Saudi Arabia's dates exports hit SAR 1.69B in 2024", Apr 2025, SAR 1.695 bn; +15.9%; 133 countries; production >1.9 m t; +192.5% since 2016 (GASTAT).
ResearchGate, "Production Estimates of Leading Countries in Date Production for the Period 2023–2028" (Springer, 2025), forecasts 10.15–10.95 m t; country shares Egypt 17.48%, Saudi 15.56%, Algeria 12.57%, Iran 11.78%, Pakistan 10.37%, Iraq 7.17%.
Amoot Iranian, "Date Production by Country 2025", 8 Jun 2026, Egypt 1.9 m t; Saudi 1.6 m t, 160,000 ha, c.8% exported; Ajwa and Sukkari premiums; Egyptian dates 30–50% cheaper; FAO +4.2% 2024–25. Trader. Med
FAO, "Date Palm Cultivation", Chapter III, export history 1961–1994; Iraq's 1991 collapse; Iran's rise; UAE as gross exporter; net-exporter ranking; 2001 country shares.
MarkNtel Advisors, Saudi Arabia Dates Market, company list (Al Foah, Al Madinah Dates, Tamrah, SIAFA and others); Medjool share claim. Vendor. Low
Saudi Export Development Authority, dates sector reports, 2017 exports SAR 703 m including re-exports, 147 kt; UAE 22% of exports; over 60 countries.
Dates.Business, "Global Date Production by Country 2026", variety origins (Ajwa Medina; Medjool Morocco, US, Israel, Jordan, South Africa; Piarom Hormozgan); premium-variety pricing generalities. Med
Accio, "Dates Wholesale Price in Saudi Arabia 2025", Apr 2026, export documentation (phytosanitary, ISO 22000, HACCP, halal); Medjool container trade. B2B marketplace. Low
Arab News, "Saudi date exports surge to near $533 million", Aug 2026, Buraidah International Dates Carnival; SAR 1.938 bn (2025); SAR 1.215 bn (2021).
Mundus Agri, "Dates: moderate rise in production", Aug 2026. INC: 2026/27 table-date supply 1.666 Mt (+3%); EU imports 165,865 t at €2.55/kg; Israeli Medjool €4.39/kg EXW. mundus-agri.euMed
FreshPlaza, "Israeli date exporters focus on premium Medjool as 2026/27 season begins", Sep 2026. Saudi harvest 1.65 Mt, exports >220,000 t; Tunisia 340,000 t; commodity tiers under Egyptian price pressure. freshplaza.comMed
Kartago Dates, "Wholesale Dates Prices: What Drives Cost per Pound", Oct 2026: US bulk-case listings $6–8/lb Medjool, $2.80–5.30/lb Deglet Noor; price drivers by variety, grade, size and season. Trade source. kartagodates.comLow
Selina Wamucii / FAOSTAT / UN Comtrade, "Dates Price in Saudi Arabia, October 2026": farm-gate US$3.06/kg (SAR 11.49); export unit value US$1.29/kg; 351,489 t exported worth US$452.2 m in 2024; production 1,927,556 t, 19.1% of world output. selinawamucii.comMed
Ajwaa Dates, "Ajwa Dates Price in Saudi Arabia (2026 Guide)": SR 100–150/kg retail; Madinah wholesale SR 90–100/kg for 10 kg+; Ramadan premium about 20%; Aliyah grade SR 180–250/kg. Retailer source. ajwaadates.comLow