Riyadh, February 16, 2023, SPA -- International Council for Dates (IDC), on Feb 15 and 16, held its second session via video conference, chaired by a Saudi Arabia representative through the undersecretary of the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture Eng—Ahmed Al-Ayada, who opened the meeting and approved the meeting's agenda. The Council's Executive Director, Dr Abdulrahman Al-Habib, presented the main activities of the Council during the previous session, which included organizing international forums and scientific meetings, and participating in international conferences and exhibitions, in addition to reiterating the agreements signed by the Council's secretariat with international Arab organizations. The meeting approved the Council's action plan for 2023, their priority projects and activities, and the formation of Council committees from member states and organizations, mainly the Marketing and Promotion Committee, the Technical Committee, and the Information, Networks, and Statistics Committee. The meeting members thanked the Saudi government for sponsoring the Council's $4 million budget for two years and hosting its headquarters in Riyadh. The participants also welcomed the membership of The Arab Center for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands (ACSAD) as an associate member of IDC. The International Dates Council includes the membership of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Tunisia, Sudan, Mauritania, Yemen, Oman, Palestine, Somalia, and Lebanon. --SPA 16:20 LOCAL TIME 13:20 GMT 0020 www.spa.gov.sa/w1855152