Doha: Aiming to meet the surge in demand for dates during Ramadan, the Ministry of Municipality and Environment (MME) will organise first-of-its-kind international dates exhibition ahead of the holy month where about 150 local and international exhibitors will showcase different varieties of dates.
The demand for dates surges during Ramadan because fasting people use it in Iftar meals due to its religious importance. The 2019 International Dates Exhibition, an 11-day event, will begin tomorrow and run until May 4 in a large tent at Souq Waqif.
“Dates and date products will be showcased by 150 exhibitors including 89 local and 59 foreign companies for producing, supplying and selling dates from ten countries,” said Director of Agricultural Affairs Department, Yousef Khalid Al Khulaifi at a press conference yesterday at the headquarters of Agricultural and Fisheries Sector of MME.
He said that a number of local farms, Hassad Food company and other entities will take part in the exhibition. “The exhibition aims at providing an opportunity to showcase varieties of dates ahead of Ramadan when the demand of dates increases significantly,” said Al Khulaifi adding that the event will also help promote locals dates and to introduce the consumers its varieties.
The Director of Agricultural Affairs Department, Yousef Khalid Al Khulaifi (left), with Acting Director of Souq Waqif, Ali Shabib Al Mannai, during the press conference at the headquarters of the Agricultural and Fisheries Sector of MME, yesterday.
The exhibition will be organised by the Agriculture Affairs Department of MME in collaboration with the Management of Souq Waqif.
Speaking to The Peninsula on the sidelines of the press conference, Al Khulaifi said that Qatar’s date production has reached 29,000 tonnes in a year which covers 86 percent need of local market.
Al Khulaifi said that the exhibition also provides a platform to the international companies to market their products and to exchange expertise with local producers.
He stressed that the organising committee of the exhibition has placed a set of rules and regulations for showcasing dates and its products at the exhibition. The dates should be in good condition and harvested in the recent season.
The products should be in packets with the date of production and expiry.
Acting Director of Souq Waqif Ali Shabib Al Mannai said that the Souq Waqif Management has set up a large tent with the capacity of about 150 pavilions to showcase various types of dates, both from local and international companies, in addition to ensuring all security and safety measures and facilities for the participants in the exhibition.
