Record growth for Madinah’s agriculture sector driven by date exports

Madinah's agriculture sector has experienced unprecedented growth, with a staggering 44 percent increase, according to a report by the Madinah Chamber of Commerce. This growth has been primarily driven by significant development projects and the expansion of date packaging and export activities within the region. The number of agricultural commercial registrations in Madinah has surged from 375 in March 2025 to 540 in March 2026, reflecting the heightened activity in the sector.

Madinah stands as the third-largest date-producing region within the Kingdom, contributing to an annual output of 344,000 tons, accounting for 18 percent of the national production. The area is home to more than 26,000 date farms and over 8 million palm trees. It also boasts 39 date factories, second only to another Saudi region in terms of factory numbers, which together generate approximately 1.067 million tons of date products annually.

Of these, 785,500 tons are utilized for packaging and processing, making Madinah's exported dates a significant contributor to Saudi Arabia's overall date exports, accounting for 13 percent of the total. The region ships over 41.5 million kilograms of dates annually to more than 60 countries across the globe. The report underscores the pivotal role of date manufacturing, packaging, and export activities in bolstering the food manufacturing sector, generating employment opportunities, fostering investment, elevating the value of local agricultural products, and significantly enhancing Saudi Arabia's international exports.