The palm in Saudi identity
The palm is a national symbol of prosperity, progress and vitality and stands at the centre of the Kingdom's official emblem. It is mentioned in the Holy Quran and has for centuries been a staple food and a source of security for the people of the Arabian Peninsula.
A tree of the oases
The date palm is an evergreen that grows in deserts and in dry, temperate climates. Its roots reach deep into the ground in search of moisture, and it is grown in oases where irrigation water is available. It can grow alone or in clusters, with several stems from one root system.
The UNESCO inscription
"Date palm, knowledge, skills, traditions and practices" was inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2019. In 2022, at its 17th session in Rabat, the Intergovernmental Committee inscribed it on an extended basis, replacing the earlier inscription, on the nomination of fifteen states: the United Arab Emirates (coordinating state), Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Tunisia and Yemen.
The element covers caring for and growing the tree, using its leaves, fronds and fibres in traditional crafts and social rituals, its place in poetry and song, and its role as a key food source. The Committee commended the states for their cooperation and for extending the file to more countries.
UNESCO lists "Al-Ahsa Oasis, an Evolving Cultural Landscape", inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2018, as a related site.
Al-Ahsa Oasis
Al-Ahsa Oasis holds more than 2.5 million palm trees, watered by a large groundwater aquifer and more than 280 artesian wells that allow farming all year round. It was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2018, and in 2020 Guinness World Records recognised it as the largest self-contained oasis in the world. Al-Ahsa Governorate has more date factories than anywhere else in the Kingdom, over 30 of them.
The palm sector in figures
According to Saudipedia, the palm and date sector is valued at about SAR 7.5 billion and accounts for 12% of agricultural output, and the Kingdom has some 123,000 agricultural holdings with palm trees.
From fronds to timber
The Saudi Investment Recycling Company, a Public Investment Fund subsidiary, is working with King Faisal University in Al-Ahsa to turn palm fronds into wooden boards for furniture, household appliances and building materials, without felling trees.