The International Date Council has launched a new initiative to supply date palm seedlings to the Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences (CATAS).
The initiative activates a strategic cooperation agreement signed in November 2025 and deepens scientific collaboration between Saudi Arabia and China.
Under the project, the council, headquartered in Saudi Arabia and focused on promoting global date industry development, will provide CATAS with date palm seedlings to support research and agricultural innovation in China’s tropical crop sector.
The project was coordinated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia and the Embassy of China in Saudi Arabia, reflecting strengthened diplomatic and scientific ties.
The collaboration aims to broaden technical exchange, enhance sustainable cultivation techniques, and accelerate innovation in date palm propagation and production methodologies.
It is also expected to lay the groundwork for China’s potential entry as an associate member of the International Dates Council, expanding the council’s global footprint and fostering further integration across major agricultural economies.
China has already seen progress in date palm cultivation, with earlier UAE‑donated seedlings thriving in Hainan’s tropical environments, part of longstanding China‑UAE cooperation on date palm germplasm and cultivation practices that date back several years.
These efforts illustrate the growing interest in date palm agriculture beyond traditional producing regions, highlighting its economic, ecological, and research significance.
The council’s broader mission includes establishing global agricultural hubs and facilitating the exchange of technical expertise to modernize cultivation and production techniques worldwide.
Through this latest partnership with CATAS, the International Dates Council aims to reinforce its role as a catalyst for global agricultural research, sustainability, and capacity building in the palm industry, supporting countries in developing resilient, modernized date production systems while strengthening academic and scientific cooperation on a global scale.
The initiative aligns with international efforts to enhance agricultural innovation, improve crop yields, and promote sustainable agricultural practices that can contribute to food security and rural development in both date‑producing and emerging cultivation regions.
