BURAIDAH: The Buraidah Date Festival is hosting an exhibition that focuses on date manufacturing, processing and byproducts, the Saudi Press Agency reported. The exhibition looks at date byproducts such as molasses, dough, sugar, jam, chocolate and maamoul. There are also displays about investment opportunities. The region is known for its agricultural value to Saudi Arabia. In Buraidah, agriculture is still the cornerstone of the economy. The Buraidah region is famous for its dates and holds an annual market that starts in August and lasts up to three months. It is the biggest date market in the world in terms of supply, and offers more than 30 varieties. The festival is supervised by authorities in the Kingdom’s central Al-Qassim region and features events and activities for all ages. It has attracted the participation of entrepreneurs. It is also a lifeline for thousands of farmers and young people who depend on the income generated from date farming.HIGHLIGHT Buraidah is the capital of Al-Qassim region in the heart of the Arabian Peninsula. The region is known for its agricultural value to Saudi Arabia. In Buraidah, agriculture is still the cornerstone of the economy. Saudi Arabia has the highest number of date palm trees in the world, roughly accounting for 25 percent of the world’s date production. The Qassim region hosts more than 8 million palm trees, which produce 205,000 tons of luxury dates annually that are exported regionally and internationally. The annual date festival is an important place to source products including syrup, paste and gift boxes that are used throughout the year. The Ministry of Water, Environment and Agriculture encourages date farming, allocates land, helps farmers purchase equipment and provides farmers with access to long-term loans through the Saudi Arabian Agricultural Bank.