BURAIDAH — The annual 35-day Buraidah Dates Festival which ended on Monday received around more than 30,000 ton of dates through 70,000 trucks, according to organizers. The festival also recorded significant numbers of guests and visitors. "The festival was a success. It attracted more than 120,000 visitors from Saudi Arabia and GCC countries," said Abdulaziz Al-Mahous, president of the festival's organizing committee. He highlighted the economic and social outcomes of the festival in and outside the Kingdom, noting that dates farmers and traders achieved high incomes. Al-Mahous also pointed out that the date products exceeded the local scale to the global export in large quantities to more than 23 countries around the world. "Since the beginning of the festival more than 400 trucks were loaded daily within the export terminal to distribute all kind of dates among local, regional and international markets. This really reflects the true size of the economic value of dates market in Buraidah," the official said. He said sales reach to around two billion riyals each season in addition to the deals and contracts that are signed during the festival."The strategic vision of the festival is to enable Buraidah to become a home for dates through this festival by turning them from a popular agricultural product to a distinctive investment and touristic and economical product," he said. The festival aims to develop the concept of agricultural marketing, quality production and fruitful communication between the farmer and trader, he said.
