Commodity Origins

How much dates do Saudi Arabia produce and export?

Saudi Arabia is the largest producer of dates: 1.9 million tonnes in 2024, 19% of the world's 9.9 million tonnes (FAOSTAT). It is the largest exporter by value: $441.6 million in 2024, 18% of world exports of dates (HS 080410) (CEPII BACI). Its biggest customer is the United Arab Emirates, which takes 32% of its dates exports by value.

All about dates · All about Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia's dates production

Saudi Arabia dates production, 2024
World rankProduction (tonnes)Share of worldTen-year growthYear
11.9 million tonnes19%+11.4% a year2024

FAOSTAT Crops and livestock products (QCL), 2024. World total is the sum of reporting countries.

Saudi Arabia dates production monthly prices, tonnes, Jan 1961 to Jan 2024Line chart of saudi arabia dates production monthly prices in tonnes from Jan 1961 to Jan 2024: Saudi Arabia dates production from 160,000 to 1,927,556, peaking at 1,927,556.0500,0001,000,0001,500,0002,000,000196519701975198019851990199520002005201020152020tonnes
Saudi Arabia dates production

Share of world output over time

Saudi Arabia's share of world dates production in selected years
19902000201020202024
16%12%14%16%19%

Average annual share by decade: 1960s 10%, 1970s 14%, 1980s 16%, 1990s 14%, 2000s 14%, 2010s 14%, 2020s 18%. See the concentration-over-time report.

Saudi Arabia's dates exports

Saudi Arabia exports of Dates, fresh or dried, 2024
World rankExport valueShare of world exportsQuantity (tonnes)Average value per tonneYear
1$441.6 million18%340,437 t$1,2972024

CEPII BACI international trade database (HS22, V202601), HS 080410 (Dates, fresh or dried).

Where Saudi Arabia's dates goes

Largest destinations of Saudi Arabia's dates exports, 2024
DestinationValueShare of Saudi Arabia's exports
United Arab Emirates$142M32%
Yemen$39M8.9%
Kuwait$26M5.9%
Morocco$21M4.8%
Jordan$18M4.1%

Largest five destinations of 2,929 exporter-importer pairs BACI reports for 2024. See trade flows.

How much dates Saudi Arabia uses

Saudi Arabia's domestic supply of dates was 1.7 million tonnes in 2023, 18% of the world's. Food supply was 51 kg per person a year, 2nd highest of 141 countries with a million or more people. It produced 111% of what it used (self-sufficiency) and imported 0%. FAO's item is "Dates". Consumption · Self-sufficiency.

Cite as: Commodity Origins, "Saudi Arabia dates: production, exports and prices", https://commodityorigins.com/countries/SAU/dates/ (CC BY 4.0). Rankings count only countries reporting to the sources named; this page is shown only for top-five producers or exporters with at least 3% of the world total. Report an issue with this page.