{
  "id": 1641824,
  "title": "Fresh date sales at malls top 11.7 tonnes as MoM extends support for farmers",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/fresh-date-sales-at-malls-top-11-7-tonnes-as-mom-extends-support-for",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-18T05:24:39.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Peninsula Qatar",
    "slug": "the-peninsula-qatar",
    "url": "https://thepeninsulaqatar.com/article/18/08/2026/fresh-date-sales-at-malls-top-117-tonnes-as-mom-extends-support-for-farmers"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Doha, Qatar - Fresh date sales at major shopping malls in Qatar have surged past 11,700 kilograms from July 30 to August 15, 2026, announced the Ministry of Municipality (MoM) on social media. This marks a strong demand for locally grown dates beyond the Souq Waqif festival, with 11,731 kilograms of various date varieties sold across three malls. Doha Festival City led sales with 4,614 kilograms, followed by Landmark Mall and Villaggio Mall with 3,810 and 3,307 kilograms, respectively. The initiative supports local farmers and ensures high-quality Qatari dates' availability post-festival. The 11th Local Dates Festival, held from July 25 to August 10, drew around 110,000 visitors and total sales of 183,268 kilograms. By collaborating with popular retail destinations, the ministry extends marketing opportunities for local producers, making fresh dates more accessible. The festival has grown since its inception, showcasing premium date varieties and encouraging consumers to choose homegrown products. The MoM emphasizes that such initiatives provide vital marketing outlets, boost production volumes, and improve quality standards for farmers.",
  "summary": "<p>Doha, Qatar: Fresh date sales at major shopping malls have surpassed 11,700 kilograms in the period from July 30 to August 15, 2026, the Ministry of Municipality (MoM) announced yesterday, underscoring continued strong demand for Qatar’s locally grown produce beyond the main festival at Souq Waqif.</p> <p>According to figures released by the ministry on its social media accounts, a total of…",
  "key_points": [
    "Fresh date sales at malls surpassed 11,700 kg from July 30 to August 15, 2026.",
    "Ministry of Municipality extended support for local farmers through retail collaboration.",
    "Doha Festival City led sales with 4,614 kg, followed by Landmark Mall and Villaggio Mall."
  ],
  "editors_take": "The Ministry of Municipality's extension of fresh date sales at major malls supports local farmers by providing them with vital marketing outlets and boosts production volumes and quality standards.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}