His Royal Highness the Prince of Qassim is briefed on the development of the palm and date sector and emphasizes the importance of expanding processing industries.

His Royal Highness Prince Dr. Faisal bin Mishaal bin Saud bin Abdulaziz, Governor of Qassim Region, accompanied by His Highness Prince Fahd bin Saad bin Faisal bin Saad, Deputy Governor of the Region, reviewed the growth and development witnessed by the date palm and date sector in the region, and the indicators that reflect Qassim's position as one of the Kingdom's leading regions in date production. His Highness explained that the sector's achievements are the result of an integrated system of work, starting from the farms, through marketing and services related to date palms and dates, and culminating in product development and quality improvement. He pointed out that the region has become one of the leading regions in the Kingdom in terms of the number of date palms and date production, with more than 11 million palm trees. During a meeting entitled "The Date Palm and Date Sector in Qassim" at Al-Tawhid Palace in Buraidah, His Highness said: "Thanks to God, we have transformed the Buraidah International Date Festival from a market to a festival, and then to an international carnival. This development was achieved thanks to God Almighty, and then to the empowerment and support of our wise leadership for the date palm and date sector." He congratulated the region on the qualitative figures and indicators achieved in this field. He emphasized the importance of the ongoing date harvest seasons in the region's provinces, explaining that their diversity contributes to creating broader opportunities for innovation, excellence, and competition in product quality and marketing. He added that dates are an important economic and food commodity, featured in global food programs, and receive generous support from our wise leadership. The Governor of Qassim called on businessmen and investors to expand specialized date-related processing industries and to work on developing value-added products, thereby enhancing the sector's economic returns and increasing its competitiveness in local and international markets. For his part, the Director General of the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture branch in Qassim, Engineer Salman Al-Suwainee, explained that the region is home to more than 14,000 agricultural holdings, contributing approximately 30% of the total national date production and producing more than 100 varieties, most notably Sukkari, Sagai, Barhi, and Medjool. He pointed out that the support and follow-up of His Royal Highness the Prince of Qassim Region in combating the red palm weevil, and the strengthening of field and scientific work, have contributed to reducing the infestation rate, according to the latest statistics, to less than 1%, in addition to continuing monitoring of products entering the markets to maintain the quality of agricultural products in the region. He explained that the agricultural seasons in Qassim have transcended their marketing aspect to become tourist and cultural destinations, noting the existence of 30 factories specializing in date industries. He also mentioned the Prince of Qassim Region's initiative for "date harvesting," which aims to localize the profession of date harvesting, create job opportunities for young people, and preserve the agricultural heritage associated with the date palm. For his part, Dr. Khalid Al-Nuqaidan, CEO of the Buraidah International Date Festival, reviewed the stages of the festival's development and the continuous accumulation of work in organization, marketing, media, and improving the experience of farmers and shoppers. He explained that the support of the Prince of Qassim Region has contributed to strengthening the international presence of the festival and taking the region's products to a wider global scale. He pointed to efforts aimed at enhancing the marketing and global visibility of dates, including "Date Diplomacy" programs, in addition to working towards registering the carnival in the Guinness World Records as the world's largest date carnival. The head of the Date Producers Association, Engineer Yousef Al-Dakhil, affirmed that the interest of His Royal Highness the Prince of Qassim in the palm and date sector has contributed to strengthening its economic and agricultural presence. He also noted the importance of developing marketing tools and leveraging the quality and diversity of the region's products to reach new markets. For his part, the head of the National Committee for Environment, Water, and Agriculture at the Federation of Saudi Chambers, Abdulaziz Al-Tuwaijri, explained that the continuous support and encouragement the palm and date sector receives from the Prince of Qassim has contributed to enhancing its marketing capabilities and opening wider horizons for producers to access international markets. He indicated that the growth in the region's date exports to many countries around the world reflects the development achieved in product quality and the efficiency of the marketing and export system, as confirmed by indicators and statistics related to the sector. He pointed out that the expanding international presence of dates reinforces their value as a national product with economic returns. At the conclusion of the meeting, the Governor of Al-Qassim Region commended the efforts of all those working in the palm and date system, including farmers, producers, marketers, manufacturers, and related entities, stressing the importance of continuing to develop the sector and maximize its economic value, thereby consolidating Al-Qassim’s position in the production, processing, and marketing of dates locally and internationally.