The Arab Organization for Agricultural Development (AOAD) in coordination with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) organized The First Consultative Meeting for the Date Palm Value Added Chain Study in the Arab Region from the 23rd to the 25th of April 2018 in Cairo, Egypt.

 The participants were 50 date palm experts, represented in the GCC countries (Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Oman), the Arab Mashreq countries (Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan and Palestine) and the Nile Valley countries (Sudan and Egypt) and experts from both organizations (AOAD & FAO).

The meeting discussed a number of important topics, namely the current situations and the most significant developments in the field of date palm development in the Arab region.

Moreover, the meeting also discussed the main challenges facing the sustainable development of date palms sector in the Arab region their implications for the development of the date palm sector in the Arab countries. Every group reviewed the most important challenges, problems and opportunities for the development of date palm sector in each region, as well as discussions and exchange of ideas. In addition AOAD presented its views of in achieving sustainable development of dates palm in the Arab region.

In conclusion, the participants thanked AOAD for its fruitful and constructive efforts for the sustainable development of the date palm sector in the Arab countries, and stressed the importance of the study to lay the foundations for cooperation and coordination among the Arab countries for the development of date palm sector.