As the World’s Largest Exporter of Dates, Saudi Arabia Leads International Milestone with the Adoption of the First Global Standard for Fresh Dates
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has added a new international achievement to its pioneering record in the food sector. The Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC), during its 48th session held from November 10–14 at the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Rome, adopted the first international standard for fresh dates. This achievement occurred during the Kingdom’s co-chairing of the working group for international standard development.
This global adoption reflects the Kingdom’s leading position in the dates sector, as the world’s largest exporter of dates, and highlights its influential role in shaping international standards that contribute to raising food quality and safety globally. Furthermore, it highlights the active role of the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) in strengthening the international food standards system and enabling Saudi products to compete in global markets.
The standard was developed in coordination between the SFDA and the Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture (MEWA), building upon existing cooperation among national entities involved in the dates sector. This collaboration aims to strengthen the Kingdom's international presence and support the national economy by improving export efficiency and enhancing the global value of Saudi dates.
The new international standard aims to raise the quality and safety of dates and facilitate their international trade by establishing unified and comprehensive standards that contribute to harmonizing food specifications among member states. This will enhance the reliability of date trading in global markets.
The SFDA affirmed that this achievement reflects the Kingdom's leading technical and regulatory expertise in developing international standards and specifications. It noted that adopting this standard will contribute to supporting the competitiveness of Saudi dates and expanding their global reach, which will positively impact the growth of the national economy and the development of non-oil exports, in line with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030 to solidify the Kingdom's position as a global hub for date production and trade.
