With the urbanization of the city and setting up of new markets for vegetables and fruits in the east, west, south, and north Riyadh, the market witnessed many developments.

The Riyadh municipality developed a plan for rebuilding the market and improving its shops. The plan has three phases to maintain the progress of selling and buying activities to ensure the current and future success of the market.

Dar Al-Bayan for Real Estate Development signed an agreement with the Riyadh municipality to rebuild the market over 25 years.

The municipality said the marketing of dates was one of its real focuses in recent years.

It added Riyadh Dates Festival held every year offers a variety of dates for connoisseurs.

It said the wholesale dates market in Ateeqah has witnessed more and more visitors and buyers who benefit from the excellent types of dates at low prices.

Ateeqah dates market is located on an area of 25,000 square kilometers and controlled by seven officials. Sellers and their shops are licensed by the municipality.

The municipality wanted to create a relaxing environment for date buyers and they intensified the lighting in the market to make it easier for buyer and seller to conduct transactions.

The municipality said dates are exported from Ateeqah market to the Gulf.

“I come here every Thursday and sell the new and beautiful dates because I am very fond of dates, but the problem we face here is that the prices are not cheap even if these dates are sold on a wholesale basis,” date buyer Omar Ahmed Nejem told Arab News.

Ateeqah market in Riyadh is one of the oldest markets in the city and the province as a whole, especially for dates.

The market witnesses increasing crowds every day, and visitors say they get everything they need from there.

Ateeqah market has got all kinds of fruits and vegetables, including more exotic varieties not found in other markets.

Fawwaz Oteibi, a merchant at the market, said: “Adding more developments to the market will increase the number of buyers and consumers, and add a nice character to the place. Development will also help the market deal with the dramatic changes in Riyadh so it can receive more and more consumers because of the increasing production of vegetables, fruit, and dates on an international and national level.”

Near the market is a big mosque and when people finish praying they meet their families to buy their supply of fruit and vegetables for the whole week.

Sami Ahmed Hassanullah, a Nepali worker at the market, said: “I am one of those people who benefitted a lot from the market because increasing numbers of people come here to buy, so my commission has continued to increase.”

Another consumer, Egyptian Mohamamd Abu Hessa, said: “Prices are too expensive so I asked the officials to lower the prices to encourage us to come here again.”

Dr. Abdul Azizi Basalem, a Sudanese doctor living in Ateeqah neighborhood, said: “I come every day to the market to get my goods, especially dates. We have been advised by Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) to buy dates and eat them. They have great advantages in building the body’s muscles and improving blood circulation.”

Official statistics show the GCC countries accounted for 46 percent of the total exports of Saudi dates. Another 36.7 percent went to the rest of the Arab countries.

Islamic countries received about 6.8 percent of Saudi date exports, meaning Arab and Islamic countries accounted for about 89 percent of Saudi date exports.

The rest of the dates went to the rest of the world, including the European Union, the largest importer of dates in the world, followed by the United States and Canada.