RIYADH — Saudi Arabia"s exports of dates have recorded an increase by 5.4% in 2022 compared to 2021, reaching about SR1,280 billion, the National Center for Palms and Dates has announced. The center pointed out that the increase recorded 121% within the period from 2016 to 2022, where the annual average of exports of Saudi dates during these 7 years has recorded an increase by 12%. The development of the palm sector has helped in increasing the spread of the Saudi dates in most of the global markets, as the number of countries importing Saudi dates has reached 116 countries. The center said that its initiatives through its multiple paths have contributed in raising the value of the exports during the past years. The revenues of dates continued to increase over those years, recording SR579 million in 2016, SR702 million in 2017, SR755 million in 2018, and SR865 million in 2019. During the past three years, it has recorded SR927 million in 2020, and rose to SR1.2 billion in 2021, then to approximately SR1.3 billion in 2022.