The German-Saudi Arabian Liaison Office for Economic Affairs (AHK Saudi Arabia) organized the trip of high-ranking Saudi-Arabian businessmen to this years’ Fruit Logistica trade fair in Berlin.

The Saudi National Center for Palms and Dates was representing a number of the best date producers and manufacturers in Saudi Arabia.

The exhibitors met with high-ranking representatives of Messe Berlin and the German industry.

They also had the opportunity to meet the industry’s key decision makers.

The National Center for Palms and Dates was created with the goal of strengthening the support for production of dates and date products by reorganizing the date industry in Saudi Arabia.

Focusing on the highest of industrial standards and quality control, and the encouragement of creativity and innovation in production and processing they intend to create a strong and sustainable industry that will be an important part of Saudi Arabian economy for years to come.

Exhibiting companies included Al-Aseel Dates, Alansar Dates Factory, Aneesah Farms, Ibn Zaid Dates Factory, Kingdom Dates, Mohamadia Dates, Onaizah Dates Factory, Palmera Dates, Saleh Al-Rajhi Endowment, Prefood, Tamarah Dates Factory.

“Fruit Logistica Trade Fair shows the wide-ranging developments in fresh produce industry and how certain sectors are changing in response to new challenges,” said Al-Ameen Al-Dalali, head of Trade Fair Department for AHK Saudi Arabia.

The palm and dates sector is considered one of the most important sectors that have a profound impact on the economic, social, and cultural development in the Kingdom.

On an economic level, the Kingdom annually produces nearly one million tons of various types of dates from more than 23 million trees distributed in various regions of the Kingdom, and this represents a significant income and real wealth for many producers of dates.

At the social level, a large number of Saudi citizens and their families work in this sector and therefore caring for and producing dates and date palms provides a stable income for them.

And on the cultural side, there has always been a close link between the people of the Kingdom and the Date Palm, where the tree is a symbol for the identity of this country.

Fruit Logistica is the most important business and communication arena of the international fresh produce trade.

The industry’s key decision makers were there as exhibitors and trade visitors and had the opportunity of approaching potential business partners with their services/products.

This specialist trade fair offered an ideal opportunity to present products across the entire added-value chain, from growing to the point-of-sale for all sectors connected with the fresh fruit and vegetable business.

Compact duration, focused appeal to target groups and maximum effectiveness were the key features of Fruit Logistica.

Saudi Arabia will also take part in Fruit Logistica Asia in Hong Kong in September 2014.