FAO approves Saudi request to establish International Year of Dates in 2027

FAO approves Saudi request to establish International Year of Dates in 2027

RIYADH — The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Council has approved the request of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to establish an International Year of Dates in 2027.The FAO granted the approval during its 165th session held from Nov. 30 – Dec. 4, 2020, following the recommendation of the Committee on Agriculture (COAG) at its 27th session in Rome. This approval will now be presented to the United Nations General Assembly's upcoming session for final approval.The Permanent Representative of the Kingdom Saudi Arabia to FAO Dr. Muhammad Al-Ghamdi participated in the FAO Council and delivered the Kingdom's statement regarding the approval of the International Year project.During the work of COAG that was held in September 2020, the action plan was approved to establish an International Year of Dates at the request of Saudi Arabia and it will be presented to the United Nations in New York for the final approval.The Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture (MEWA) said that this significant step came after numerous discussion meetings between