Egypt: The World’s Leading Date Producer Facing Export Challenges

Global statistics show that Egypt is the world’s largest producer of dates, thanks to its diverse climate stretching from the north to the south of the country. In the north, varieties such as Zaghloul, Hayani, and Samani are produced, while Barhi dates are grown in Wadi El Natrun. The Bahariya Oasis also yields many types, including Siwi
(Saidi) and Medjool.

The New Valley and the Rise of Medjool and Barhi

In the New Valley Governorate—which includes Farafra, Kharga, Dakhla, and Paris—there are millions of palm trees and great diversity in production, though Siwi dates make up most of the harvest. Moving to Minya and West Minya, new promising varieties like Medjool and Barhi are being cultivated. Meanwhile, Siwa Oasis, rich in palm trees, benefits from its unique climate and abundant water, producing high-quality dates.

In Upper Egypt, or Al-Saeed, production focuses on dry dates, especially in Aswan, as well as Sohag, Qena, and Luxor, after passing through Beni Suef and Fayoum. The Toshka region is also promising, with vast lands, favorable climate, and abundant water resources.

Sinai’s Promising Date Production

Crossing the Gulf of Suez, Sinai—a blessed and promising land—produces diverse types of Medjool and Barhi dates, particularly in Ras Sedr and El-Tor, and also in Arish in North Sinai.

This climatic diversity, vast agricultural areas, skilled labor, and inherited expertise have made Egypt the world leader in date production. However, despite this, Egypt is not among the top date-exporting countries, being surpassed by smaller nations, some younger than Egypt’s ancient palm trees still producing fruit today.

Obstacles to Global Competitiveness

Saudi Arabia tops the list of date exporters, followed by the UAE, Tunisia, Palestine, and Iran. Several factors contribute to Egypt’s lower ranking, such as limited experience in packaging and processing according to global standards, the small number of exporters, and the lack of factories and cold storage facilities.

Although some producers’ associations purchase, collect, and market dates on behalf of farmers, these organizations need modernization to keep up with advances in the industry. Limited marketing expertise, long distances between farms and markets, and insufficient storage facilities have forced some farmers to use dates as animal feed.

Now, the role of both the government and investors is crucial in placing Egypt among the world’s leading date exporters, just as it already leads in production.