The International Dates Council (IDC) held the fifth session of its members’ council yesterday in Diriyah, with the participation of ministers, senior officials, and heads of delegations from member states.
IDC Executive Director Princess Sarah bint Bandar bin Abdulaziz welcomed the participating delegations, highlighting the importance of this meeting in strengthening joint action and advancing cooperation initiatives among member states.
In his opening remarks, Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture and Chairman of the IDC Members’ Council Abdulrahman Alfadley emphasized the importance of leveraging research and innovation programs and modern technologies to enhance the efficiency of date production and processing, as well as its global presence.
He noted that the council relies on the political will of all governments and on the commitment, cooperation, and coordination of member states to address issues of importance to the palm and dates sector, while also inviting interested countries to join IDC to support its role and development objectives.
Princess Sarah reviewed the follow-up on the implementation of the resolutions of the fourth session for 2024 and the IDC Secretariat’s report for this year.
She also presented the council’s 2026 work plan, which includes key pillars such as completing the implementation of the International Dates Observatory and building a modern digital identity for the IDC.
The floor was then opened for remarks from ministers and heads of delegations, followed by the adoption of the session's final resolutions, the meeting minutes, and preparations for the next session, which will be held in Muscat.
The session concluded with the signing of several cooperation agreements with regional and international entities, which are part of the IDC’s efforts to enhance its research and technical programs.
These included the Arab Accreditation Cooperation (ARAC), the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), and the Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences (CATAS).
These agreements aim to enhance agricultural research, boost laboratory capabilities, improve product quality, and support training and knowledge transfer programs among member states.
