Saudi dates reach world markets with wrong ‘certificates of origin’

August 30, 2013

Buraidah, Aug 30: Abdul Aziz Al-Twaijri, a member of the National Council for Palms and Dates, has alleged that huge quantities of Saudi dates are being sold in European markets with a “country of origin” label other than that of Saudi Arabia.

Speaking on the sidelines of Buraidah Dates Festival, Al-Twaijri said the Saudi produce was being accessed to Asian and European markets through neighboring countries such as UAE, Jordan and Turkey.

He said that the UAE had become a gateway for Saudi dates to East Asian countries, while Turkey had opened the gates to European markets and Jordan opened several outlets to other countries. “Europeans normally prefer dark brown dates, which are priced between SR 20 to SR 50 a kg,” Al-Twaijri said, noting that East Asian countries are more price-conscious than concerned with quality and prefer dates priced at not more than SR 15 per kg.

He said: “A single riyal is added to every extra kg for transporting the commodity to neighboring countries such as Yemen, Jordan, the Gulf States and Egypt. But transportation by sea is more expensive, with SR 5 added to a kg of dates. Taxes and transportation costs are included.”

Ten percent of local dates production is dispensed as government subsidies, which corresponds to up to 2.5 percent of production volumes, said Al-Twaijri adding: “Another 7.3 percent is dispensed as subsidies for the less fortunate throughout the world, with Somalia and Yemen topping the list, as well as refugee camps in Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon.”

“There are 12 outlets for hosting Saudi date distribution throughout the globe, including the SAIL exhibitions in Paris, 'ANOVA' in Germany and 'Halal' in Malaysia, in addition to several other exhibitions around the world,” explained Al-Twaijri.

Sultan Al-Thunayan, head of the Dates Committee at the Qassim Chamber of Commerce, said that Saudi dates are of high quality. “The Buraidah Dates Festival has opened the doors to international markets,” he added.

There is in excess of 22 million trees in Saudi Arabia, he said, adding that these trees produce more than 1.2 million tons of the fruit, of which Qassim only produces 20 percent.

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Syrian Town erupts after Israeli forces enter Beit Jinn; heavy casualties reported

News Network

November 28,2025

Several Syrians were killed and more than two dozen others injured in Israeli strikes on the outskirts of Damascus, amid intensified incursions by the occupying regime since the fall of former president Bashar al-Assad and the rise of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) rule.

Syrian state TV reported that the casualties occurred during an overnight Israeli assault involving helicopters and drones on the town of Beit Jinn in the Damascus countryside. The attack followed an Israeli military unit’s entry into the town, where they were surrounded by local residents, leading to gunfire and direct confrontations.

According to the report, “The occupation army’s helicopters and artillery shelled Beit Jinn, located at the foothills of Mount Hermon, resulting in 13 martyrs and 25 injured civilians.” The broadcaster did not specify the full extent of damage.

Al-Ikhbariyah Syria confirmed that the shelling coincided with Israeli soldiers entering Beit Jinn, while artillery pounded surrounding areas. The broadcaster stated that the escalation began after local residents clashed with an Israeli patrol that had infiltrated the southern town and “kidnapped” three young men.

Following a two-hour exchange of heavy fire, Israeli forces withdrew and repositioned on the hill of Butt al-Warda at the town’s outskirts.

Israeli media acknowledged that six soldiers were wounded in the clashes—three of them seriously—describing the confrontation as a “sudden ambush” that forced the deployment of reserve units and air support to secure an exit route. No further details were provided.

The aggression has fueled renewed displacement from Beit Jinn, with residents fleeing to nearby villages amid increasingly frequent Israeli attacks.

The raid came just a day after Israeli troops carried out another ground incursion into Umm al-Luqas village in Quneitra province. According to SANA, an Israeli unit in four vehicles entered the village, raided several homes, and later withdrew.

Syria condemned the repeated incursions as violations of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement and UN resolutions, urging the international community to enforce compliance and pressure Israel to halt its operations and withdraw fully.

Israel has expanded its attacks across Syrian territory following the collapse of the Assad government last year. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly instructed his forces to push deeper into Syrian territory and seize strategic positions.

Meanwhile, critics say the HTS-led interim government’s inaction and growing normalization gestures toward Israel have emboldened Tel Aviv to intensify its military operations. HTS, formerly linked to al-Qaeda, seized control of Damascus last December, formally ending Assad’s rule.

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