Official government website of the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 
Qassim University President: Dates are a wealth that must be developed, preserved, and continuously cared for.
The Prince of Al-Qassim inaugurates the second International Date Palm Conference at Al-Qassim University and calls for integration among palm-related institutions.
Media and Communication Center:
His Royal Highness Prince Dr. Faisal bin Mishaal bin Saud, Governor of Al-Qassim Province, opened the Second International Date Palm Conference at Qassim University, which is being held from October 10-12, with the participation of approximately 384 researchers, 66 from inside the Kingdom and 318 from abroad, representing 29 Arab and foreign countries.
In his opening remarks, the Governor of the Al-Qassim Region emphasized that the Kingdom is one of the world’s leading nations in date cultivation and related industries, with more than 28 million date palms producing approximately 2 million tons annually, of which the Al-Qassim Region accounts for about 25% of the Kingdom’s total production.
His Highness clarified that the Qassim region organizes the largest date trading market regionally and globally, and is home to the largest date marketing company worldwide. He expressed his keen interest in reviewing the latest research and studies in this field in order to advance palm cultivation and combat and eradicate its pests, to improve the date farming process and its associated industries. He also recognized the role of Qassim University in organizing this conference, the efforts of its organizers, and their constant keenness to organize such purposeful conferences that serve the community by bringing together all those interested in dates, their cultivation, and their industry globally.
He called for the necessity of integrating all institutions concerned with palm trees, whether agricultural or industrial, to achieve prosperity for this industry. He also requested to be informed of the conference's results and recommendations to benefit from them in the future.
His Highness the Prince of Al-Qassim also praised the efforts of the Kingdom's wise leadership, headed by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, in achieving stability, security, and safety, without which the agricultural renaissance would not have reached its current stage. He stressed the importance of developing and activating the Palm Tree Chair at the university, which was sponsored by Sheikh Saleh Kamel, due to the positive impact it could have on palm cultivation and related industries.
His Highness affirmed that without loyal and devoted men in this nation, we would not have achieved agricultural renaissance.
For his part, His Excellency Professor Dr. Abdul Rahman Al Dawood, President of Qassim University and General Supervisor of the conference, affirmed that the university looks forward to achieving the goals set for the conference so that it results in a number of recommendations that are in line with the Kingdom's Vision “2030.”
His Excellency affirmed that holding such an international conference at the university is a realization of the university's ambitious goals in performing its role in the nation's scientific renaissance and developing university products and outcomes, based on continuous support from the Ministry of Education and the wise government.
“Dr. Al-Dawood” attributed the university's interest in holding this conference specialized in date palms to its presence in one of the most important and renowned agricultural regions in the country for palm cultivation. It was also distinguished by its multiple products and accompanying events showcased in investment halls and commercial markets.
The university president explained that date palm cultivation deserves attention and that modern scientific advancements in agriculture should be harnessed to serve and protect it, thereby improving the quality of its products. He emphasized that it is a resource that must be developed, preserved, and continuously cared for, both now and in the future, which is what the conference seeks and aims to achieve.
We appreciate the support and patronage of His Highness the Prince of the region for this conference and the active participation of the guests.
The conference president, Dean of the College of Agriculture, Professor Dr. Khalid Bani Al-Harbi, affirmed that this conference is one of the most important specialized scientific gatherings in the field of date palm at the international level, as it brings together scientists, researchers, and specialists in this vital field, emphasizing that the university called for organizing this conference based on its important role in serving the community and achieving sustainable development.
For his part, the representative of the sponsors, “Abdullah Al-Sulaiman Charity Foundation,” Advisor Ahmed Al-Hamdan, considered that holding such a conference is a beautiful scientific and academic phenomenon that serves society and benefits the nation. He pointed out that the economic importance of the palm tree is shaped by the volume of production and local and foreign demand for this vital product. He affirmed that through applied scientific research, the use of palm tree products can be redeveloped and renewed, providing economic revenues and generating new jobs.
The foundation also announced its commitment to increase the “Good” award value from 600,000 to one million.
During the opening ceremony, a documentary film about dates in the region was screened, showcasing the achievements and various activities of the College of Agriculture. Participants and sponsors were honored by His Highness the Emir of the region, while His Excellency the President of the University presented a commemorative shield to His Highness on behalf of Qassim University. Following this, His Highness the Emir of Qassim launched the Sheikh Abdullah Al-Sulaiman Award for Scientific Innovation in Date Palms.
His Highness the Prince of Al-Qassim inaugurated the Dates Exhibition accompanying the conference, which included samples of produced date varieties, others from household industries and date-based industries, and other palm tree components, in addition to the latest technologies in the field of date production, manufacturing, and marketing, with the participation of a number of governmental and private entities from inside and outside the Kingdom.
It is noted that the conference is attended by scientists and specialists in the field of date palm from various parts of the world as official speakers. Among the foremost are Dr. Hans Van Der Beek from the Netherlands, Dr. Frank Witt from Germany, Dr. Muraleedharan Nair from America, Dr. Hamed Al-Mousli from Egypt, and Dr. Ibrahim Al-Shehwan from Saudi Arabia, who will speak about palm trees in the context of the Kingdom's Vision 2030.
The conference, over its three days, will witness 12 diverse sessions discussing the most important and latest scientific findings related to date palm, its economics, marketing, production and care techniques, and the technology of manufacturing its products. The conference sessions will also discuss date palm pests, red palm weevils, and how to control and eliminate them.
The conference's first scientific sessions kicked off under the title ”Date Palm Economics and Marketing,” chaired by Dr. Yousef bin Abdullah Al-Suleim and attended by a number of experts and specialists. It began with a research paper presented by Dr. Hans van der Beek, titled "Saudi Arabia-Netherlands Cooperation in Improving Date Palm Quality and Production by Assisting Farmers and Companies in Reducing Water Consumption and Cooperation Methods in Managing Pests Threatening Date Palms, Most Notably the Red Palm Weevil." This was followed by a discussion led by Mr. Saud Al-Fida, Director-General of the Saleh Al-Rajhi Endowments Administration, on how to qualify projects and farms to obtain specialized agricultural certifications, most notably the Global G.A.P. certificate. Subsequently, working papers were presented from Pakistan and Saudi Arabia on the marketing of dates and date-based food products.
The second session, “Date Palm Production and Care Techniques,” was chaired by Dr. Abdulaziz bin Bani Al-Harbi and included the participation of Dr. Emad Fouda, Dr. Gamal Abdel-Hakim, Dr. Shahzada Arshad Khan, Dr. Ahmed Khan, Dr. Al-Hadi Adam, and Dr. Lubna Abdel-Jalil. Several research papers and working documents were presented during the session on the latest techniques and methods used in date palm cultivation and the industries based on it.
