The United Arab Emirates has agreed to establish three modern date processing plants in Pakistan under a new cooperation agreement between the two countries.
This partnership will soon be officially formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), marking an important step in agricultural collaboration.
Federal Minister for National Food Security Rana Tanveer Hussain held detailed discussions with UAE officials to finalize the project specifics. The primary goal is to enhance value addition in Pakistan’s date industry, meaning the plants will help process raw dates into higher-quality products that can be sold at better prices in international markets.
The three processing plants will be strategically located in major date-producing regions of Sindh and Balochistan provinces, where Pakistan grows most of its dates. These modern facilities will use advanced technology to clean, sort, package, and preserve dates in accordance with international quality standards.
Pakistan is already a significant date producer, growing over 500,000 tonnes of dates annually. Currently, the country exports approximately $50 million worth of dates to various countries worldwide. However, much of this export happens in raw or minimally processed form, which limits profit potential.
With the UAE’s expertise and investment in date processing, Pakistan can significantly increase the value of its date exports. Processed dates command higher prices in international markets compared to raw dates.
The UAE is a global leader in date processing and marketing so this partnership will transfer valuable knowledge and technology to Pakistan.
This cooperation will boost Pakistan’s agricultural competitiveness globally, create employment opportunities in rural areas of Sindh and Balochistan, and strengthen the already close economic ties between Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates.
