Youths biggest beneficiaries of dates festival

About 800 Saudi youths are managing the Kingdom’s largest dates market in the central city of Buraidah, where a dates festival has drawn people from within and outside Saudi Arabia.
“These Saudi youths receive truckloads of dates from farmers, register them and sell them through auctions and make a lot of money,” a market analyst told Arab News.
Khaled Al-Naqeedan, CEO of Buraidah Dates Festival, said more and more young Saudis are taking part in the event as salesmen, auctioneers, drivers and agents. “It was a good opportunity for them to make money and have a decent livelihood,” he told Arab News.
“We hold this festival during school vacation and this allows a large number of students to take part in the event,” he added.
“There are 10 leading dates agents in the market, one of the largest in the world,” the analyst said, adding that they sell dates worth millions of riyals every day.
Every agent in the market is supported by at least 80 young Saudis, who control purchase and sales and conclude deals with businessmen and businesswomen.
“Before the festival, the agents reach agreements with farmers to market their products and the agents take a profit of 7 percent of the deal,” the analyst said. “Sometimes a deal is reached within seconds,” he pointed out.
Some agents make good profits during the festival and they employ a large number of Saudis, paying them good salaries. The festival offers nearly 3,500 jobs for Saudis.
Mubarak Al-Rasheedi, 20, is one Saudi youth who made good profits during the festival by bringing high quality dates from farmers to sell in the market.
“I have been in this business for the last three years. By the Grace of Allah, I have been making good profits,” he told Arab News.
Ibrahim Al-Ghaith is one of the top agents in the market who receives hundreds of trucks carrying dates from farmers. “Every second is valuable for me,” said Al-Ghaith, who manages his business with the support of 100 young Saudis.