A variety of dates from Al-Ahsa, known for their top quality, are lined up at the festival.

Plans are afoot to turn the Al-Ahsa dates festival into an international event by adopting top standards in the manufacture, packaging and marketing of the product, Adel Al-Mulhim, the general supervisor of the festival, has said.

Speaking during a press conference here on Saturday, Al-Mulhim pointed to the near completion of an advanced laboratory as part of the Al-Ahsa Secretariat’s bid to adopt international standards to export the dates to international markets.

The third edition of the festival, “Waya Al-Tamor Ahla 2016” was to be launched by Eastern Province Gov. Prince Saud bin Naif at the headquarters of the exhibition center on Monday. It has been organized by the Al-Ahsa Secretariat in partnership with the Chamber of Commerce.

The festival is held in an area of 3,600 square meters and attracts government agencies and 45 factories operating in the field of manufacturing and packaging dates.

Al-Mulhim said, “The strategic vision of the festival is to enable Al-Ahsa to become a home for dates through tactical mechanisms by turning them from a popular agricultural product to a distinctive investment and touristic and economical product.”

The festival aims to develop the concept of agricultural marketing, quality production and fruitful communication between the farmer and trader through best mechanisms and methods, he said. “A mechanism will adopted to promote the dates sector through an exchange of experience and closer ties between farmers, producers and manufacturers.”

Khalid Al Qahtani of the Chamber of Commerce said, “The festival seeks to care for date palms and support farmers in order to promote agricultural sustainability in Al-Ahsa, the largest oasis of palms in the world.”

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