Organizers are frantically preparing for the Buraidah Dates Festival in Al-Qassim this Friday, which will display 200,000 tons of dates worth SR2.5 billion. This represents the dates of over eight million palms, six million of which are from Al-Qassim and two million from nearby areas. There are 37 types of dates produced in Buraidah, which will be on display. The festival will, for the first time, market some types of dates from last year because of the demand for these types and because dates ripened 10 days late this year. The month of August, when dates usually ripen, is coinciding with Ramadan this year, which will see a greater demand than previous years. The festival will include Saudi farmers, date retailers and shoppers from Al-Qassim and elsewhere. The organizers said that this year's festival has several distinct features including how dates are displayed. They also assured customers that all the dates are of a high quality and disease-free. Market experts estimate over 200,000 tons of dates will be offered, a 20 percent increase from last year, and worth SR2.5 billion. Buraidah represents 65 percent of this total. Daily trading is likely to be about SR25 million. Many farmers and date retailers from all over the Kingdom have reserved their places at the festival because of the expected increase in sales. They will be buying in bulk, including some of last year's stock. There are 3,000 vehicles operating daily to transfer the dates to the market. __
