Time for a date: Check out the Diriyah Dates Festival 2025
The event is in full swing and runs until July 24
Hardly any event in Saudi Arabia takes place without the presence of a dish of dates and Saudi coffee.
Saudi dates are renowned for their quality and variety, so much so that the Diriyah Dates Festival is celebrated with great enthusiasm. The festival, organised by the National Centre for Palms and Dates, runs until Thursday July 24.
This also explains why the season attracts date producers from around the world who come to Saudi Arabia to study the palm trees and learn how to grow sweet, meaty dates like the ones grown here.
What’s On at the Diriyah Dates Festival
Planning to visit the Diriyah Dates Festival? Discover Diriyah’s heritage through a range of cultural exhibitions, workshops, and social activities.
Have a wander and you’ll find booths for date vendors offering fresh dates, processed date products, palm by-products, and items from family-run cottage industries.
There are restaurants, cafes, food trucks, interactive workshops for adults and children, a date auction area, and a horse parade.
There is also a dedicated Ministry of Culture booth showcasing artisans specialising in palm-based crafts to celebrate the Year of Handicrafts.
Taste the best dates
According to the Saudi Press Agency, the harvest season begins early, taking place from August 1 and goes on until the end of November. Local date markets in several Riyadh Region governorates have received early varieties of dates, including Sukkari, Rothana, Khalas, Barhi, and Saq’i.
The most popular variety is Sukkari – sweet, as its name in Arabic indicates, and golden brown, with caramel notes and a melt-in-the-mouth texture.
Then there is Ajwa, small, dark in colour and chewy, with notes of cinnamon and cloves.
Another is Khalas, which has a thin skin, a chestnut brown colour, and a nutty undertone.
The Riyadh Region is recognised as a key area for date production, hosting some of the largest central date markets and nearly 80 different varieties.
The region’s total date production exceeded 453,000 tonnes, making it one of the top-producing areas in the Kingdom. There are over eight million palm trees in the region, of which more than 6.8 million are productive.
Location: Diriyah Dates Festival, QHC7+WFG, Al Malqa, Diriyah 13715
Dates: Until July 24
Timings: 5pm to 10pm
Images: Saudi Press Agency / Social
