Following the tradition of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), 1.5 billion Muslims around the world prefer to break their fast with dates. This tradition increases the intake of dates around the world during Ramadan thus making sales — even the most expensive of them — brisk. Retailers of dates said Ramadan is one of the seasons when dates producers and sellers make good profit. “The big producers, particularly those from the date-producing regions like Al-Hassa and Qassim, export a lot of dates during this period of the year. The exportation starts a few months before the advent of Ramadan,” a date trader said. He said Saudi dates are preferred because of their good quality. “Overseas demand for Saudi dates is also symbolic in that the food comes from that part of the world which is the cradle and seat of Islam; where Ramadan is devotedly observed,” he explained. In the local retail market, sales are going up too. “Toward the Eid, the market will be more brisk and sales will increase,” the sales manager of one of the wholesale and retail dates stores in Al-Khobar said. “People are not only buying for their own consumption, but also to give them as gifts to friends and neighbors,” he said. He said most customers during Ramadan prefer to buy special kinds of dates. “The Sukkari and Khlas varieties are preferred, particularly if these kinds have nuts added to them, like pistachio and other first class seeds.” The head salesman of one of the popular dates stores in Al-Khobar, whose farm and factory are in Qassim, said the price of special dates with added nuts, decorations, and nice packaging complete with ribbon goes up to SR95 per kg. “The added costs are due to the decoration and the packaging that went into making the product special,” he admitted. Another retail store, also in Al-Khobar, however, is not charging extra for the additional decorations, ribbons and packaging that go into making the special products. “We only put value on the products – such as the Sukkari, Ajwah, Dekieri, Nubout Sayf or Khlas variety. We do not charge the decorations, ribbon, packaging, etc.” he said. __
