The roots of date palms go deeper than most trees and so does the love for the fruit they bear in the hearts of date lovers in the Arabian Peninsula and around the Islamic world. Saudis express their passion for date fruit at the Buraidah Dates Festival. The storied market takes place annually for 40 days. In recent years, the market has slowly become an exhibition where one cannot only purchase dates, but also gain a cultural perspective on date fruit and cultivation practices on the peninsula. “I have been [a regular] costumer at this date [market] for 27 years,” says Tawfiq Khalid Al Mejbil. Every year, the 55-year-old makes the trek from his home in Dammam to visit date merchants for “the cheapest, but the best quality of dates in the world.” Tawfiq has made three trips to the Buraidah Dates Festival just this season. Date connoisseurs value different qualities from each type of date. “The ‘Galaxy dates' — the red ones – are the ones you give to your guest,” says Badr Al-Harbi, 36, a cardiovascular technician from Buraidah. “The light-browns are to keep around the house. Your house can never [be without] dates.” Galaxy dates are not a recognized species of dates, but rather a nickname given to them, derived from the popular chocolate bar with a creamy and sugary texture. They are actually a derivative of Sukkari dates. There are several dozen varieties of dates grown throughout the Kingdom. The Eastern Province tends to yield the Bukeira, Khalas, Kheneizy and Ruzeiz dates, while the Qassim region is known for producing the best Sukkari dates. But it's the Kingdom's west that is home to the most expensive variety of date. Priced at around SR100 per kilogram, the Ajwa dates from Madinah are very popular because they were the Prophet's personal favorites. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is reported to have said, “Ajwa dates are from the paradise.” The date palm is such an integral part of Islamic society that the Prophet (pbuh) even used date palm trunks as pillars for the first mosque in Madinah and date palm fronds were used to cover its roof. Date merchant Saif Al-Harbi oversees his family's date business. The 19-year-old has been a merchant at the festival since he was nine. During the annual date market, Saif and his father arrive to the festival grounds every morning with a truckload of freshly picked dates of several varieties. The market's 300,000 square meter parking lot accommodates thousands of trucks and refrigerated trailers. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the festival is host to the largest date market in the world. Before the discovery of oil beneath its sands, and before it became a united Kingdom, Saudi Arabia's primary industry was date farming. Although the date palm tree is highly adaptable and thrives in many other climates, the tree is notoriously fickle for its temperament in yielding quality fruit. Bishah, Madinah, Qatif and Qassim are known for having the most fertile and productive groves. “Dates are very climate sensitive,” says Rakan Al-Harbi, a 26-year-old dates merchant. “The best Sukkari dates are grown in Qassim. If you try to grow these dates anywhere else, they won't [taste] the same.” According to date farmers, the intense arid summer heat of the Arabian Peninsula is what makes these dates special. By harvest time, the dates are typically dark red or dark brown. The height of the date season runs from July to mid-October. Because of the numerous pests that intrude on growing and stored dates, date cultivation requires as good a green thumb as for any other crop. According to research conducted by Qassim University's College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, livestock — such as chickens — are fed damaged dates that are pulverized into animal feed. Research shows that by adding dates to 5 percent of the feed increases the flow of milk in cattle. Scientists have also considered enriching fish food at local fisheries with date pits. After harvest, the fruit is sent to processing plants where they are stored in a cool, dry warehouse. Across Saudi Arabia there are 42 plants for processing and packaging dates. The largest facility is in Al-Hasa, which is also widely considered the largest oasis in the world. The Buraidah Dates Festival began Aug. 5 and ends this coming weekend. “The festival is a hub for date farmers and researchers from all over the Kingdom,” says the festival's executive manager, Abdulaziz Al-Mahoos. “The festival is a big deal for the province's economy, as tourists come from all over the Kingdom and other Gulf countries.” One hadith (prophet's teaching) sums up the region's love for dates: “People in a house without dates are in a state of hunger.”
