The International Dates Council held on the 16th of May 2019, in Saudi Arabia, its 2nd foundation meeting, in the presence of a number of Arab Ministers of Agriculture, the Undersecretaries in the Ministries of Agriculture, Senior officials in Ministries of Agriculture, the Director General of the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development (AOAD), the representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and representatives from the private sector and date producers.

During the opening session, the Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture, H.E Eng. Abdulrahman bin Abdul Mohsen, pointed out the importance of the economic and social aspects of the dates sector and its role in agricultural and rural development in the Arab region. H.E Eng. Abdulrahman presented the achievements and future plans of the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the date’s sector in order to activate the International Dates Council as an economic pillar serving all stakeholders. Moreover, H.E Abdulrahman presented the Ministry's exerted efforts in cooperation with scientific bodies, universities, private sector in order to raise the efficiency of the Kingdom date sector.

The Director General of AOAD H.E Prof Ibrahim Adam El Dukheri, expressed his congratulations to the heads and members of the delegations participating in this meeting, wishing, to achieve the aimed objectives.

In his speech, H.E Prof El Dukheri presented the contribution of the date’s sector globally and in the Arab region, as well as the importance of dates sector for agricultural development and food security. Moreover, H.E Prof El Dukheri, presented AOAD’s efforts in the sector of dates through studies, consultations, programs and projects implemented in partnership with other sister organization and the member countries.

 H.E Prof El Dukheri, added that AOAD welcomed the resolution of their Excellencies the members of the Executive Council at its forty-ninth session held in Jeddah on 28/3/2019 requesting AOAD to take all necessary measures to activate the International Dates Council in Saudi Arabia and achieve its objectives.

H.E Prof El Dukheri, stressed the financial support provided by the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the International Dates Council, stressing the importance of the council and how it represents a major body in the Arab agricultural action.

 Moreover, H.E Prof El Dukheri said that the council represents an important sector in the Arab region that produce, process and market dates at the national, regional and international levels, and that the AOAD is fully prepared to provide the necessary technical support to activate the Council, stressing that the International Dates Council should be an entity interested in dates along the value chain.