BURAIDAH. 18 September 2003 — Prince Sultan, second deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation, opened here yesterday an international scientific seminar on date palms organized by King Saud University in Riyadh. The three-day seminar will discuss 180 research papers.
In his opening address, Prince Sultan highlighted the importance given by the Saudi government to date palm cultivation. “Date palms will remain a major supporter of the Saudi economy,” he said. About 300 experts from over 30 countries are taking part in the seminar. Prince Sultan expressed his hope that the seminar would help contribute to the Kingdom’s efforts to promote the production and marketing of dates. Prince Sultan and the gathering later watched a documentary on the history and development of date palms cultivation in the Kingdom. The prince also opened a date festival held on the sidelines of the seminar.
