AlUla Dates Season will return from 18 to 26 September, celebrating the farmers, communities and agricultural traditions that have shaped the Saudi destination’s palm groves for generations.

Held during the annual date-harvesting season, the programme will give visitors an opportunity to experience AlUla’s agricultural heritage through local markets, traditional practices and the annual date auction.

A central feature will be the Date Season activation at AlManshiyah Farmers’ Market, near AlManshiyah Plaza.

The market will bring together farm-fresh produce, handcrafted goods and locally prepared food, while providing visitors with an opportunity to meet local producers and explore seasonal products.

The 2026 Date Auction at the Equestrian Village will bring farmers from across the region together to showcase their harvests.

The event will offer visitors an insight into the importance of dates to AlUla’s agricultural economy and the knowledge passed down through generations of growers.

Date cultivation has been part of AlUla’s history for centuries, with evidence of the crop’s cultural importance dating back to at least the first millennium BCE.

Ancient inscriptions at Jabal Ikmah, described as an “open-air library”, reflect the longstanding role of dates in the destination’s heritage.

Today, AlUla is home to more than 4.2 million date palms, with date farming remaining its dominant agricultural activity.

Production increased from 1.7 million kilograms in 2024 to 2.2 million kilograms in 2025, highlighting the crop’s continuing contribution to the local economy.

Visitors can discover regional varieties including Barni, Anbarah, Safawi, Hamrah and Majdool, each offering different flavours and textures influenced by AlUla’s fertile oases and desert environment.

The season will also showcase Jadd AlNakhil, a traditional harvesting practice focused on collecting ripe dates while maintaining the health and productivity of the palm.

The term Jadd means cutting, referring to the harvesting of mature date clusters and the careful renewal of the palm.

Traditionally, the process was carried out collectively by farmers and their helpers. Workers climbed the palms using belts made from twisted ropes for support before cutting ripe clusters, known as Qunou.

During the harvest, they recited the blessing, ‘Ya Rabb AlMuqbilah Zawdha’ — “Oh Lord, increase the yield of the coming year.” The clusters were then lowered to the ground, where women gathered and sorted the dates into baskets woven from palm fronds.

The Dates Season offers visitors a way to experience AlUla through its living agricultural traditions, from the activity of the farmers’ market and auction to the rituals of the palm groves.

The programme also highlights efforts to preserve AlUla’s agricultural heritage, support local farming communities and promote a sustainable economy for future generations. -TradeArabia News Service