**4. International date palm markets and opportunities for GCC countries**

The GCC is considered as an important component of the regional and international date trading; the trend of the international marketing of dates shows clearly the weight of the quantity of date exported by GCC countries in the international market [3]. The fluctuation of the trend of the dates trading in the GCC countries is mainly due to the instability of volumes exported by the UAE and KSA. The analysis of date trade reveals that in 2016, GCC and North African countries are capturing more than 70% of the international market of dates from the Arab countries. **Figure 3** shows how this market is shared among the GCC countries and their direct competitors from North Africa, such as Tunisia, Algeria, and Egypt. In addition to Israel, who constantly holds more than 10% of the international market of dates, Tunisia is dominating in terms of market share, with an average value of around 20% over the last decade. Algeria and Egypt are simultaneously holding around 3.6 and 3.8% of the market.

As shown in **Figure 4**, the international market share of GCC countries in 2016 was about 28.26%. In terms of growth, it was clear that all GCC countries, including the least present on the international market are progressing quite positively with increasing shares from 1 year to another Such result confirm that these countries

**Figure 3.**

*Agricultural Economics - Current Issues*

Arabia was exporting to 64 countries.

dates, as shown in **Figure 2**.

UAE is the biggest exporter and importer partner of Oman.

**16**

**Figure 2.**

**Figure 1.**

*Export trade of dates among the GCC countries (UAE: United Arab Emirates, SAU: Saudi Arabia; OMN:* 

the number of countries to which each of the respective GCC countries are exporting to. Results outlined in **Table 1** reveals that KSA and UAE are the most active in terms of market diversification expressed by the number of countries to which they are exporting dates. In 2016, UAE was exporting to 110 countries, while Saudi

The analysis of the intensity of date imports-exports, particularly among the GCC countries (**Figure 1**) based on the availability of recent data, shows again that KSA and UAE are the most active in terms of date exports to the different GCC countries. On the GCC market, UAE is mostly exporting to Oman, followed by KSA and Qatar. KSA is mostly exporting to UAE followed by Kuwait and Qatar. Most of the Omani dates is also exported in the destination of UAE, which is showing that

In the export channel, dates are sold directly to the processing factories for processing and packaging before being shipped to export markets. It is indicated that this channel is taking a considerable share in some countries, such as KSA and UAE, in comparison to the rest of GCC countries. The dates are produced, harvested, sorted, graded, processed, packaged, and transported in an efficient, safe, and with high quality management. This process determines the final market value of the

*Omani date marketing channels with date export supply chain indicated by circle. Source: Mbaga [6].*

*Oman; and KWT: Kuwait). Source: Own elaboration from COMATRADE UN database [5].*

*Market share of selected dates exporting countries, including GCC countries and their competitors during the period 2005–2016. Source: Own elaboration from FAOSTAT (2018).*

**Figure 4.**

*Trend of the aggregated GCC market share (sum of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates) during the period 2005–2016. Source: Own elaboration from FAOSTAT (2018).*

together have strong potential for dominating the international dates market if additional efforts (concentrating on their dates international markets) are made mainly in the important as well as growing date importing countries.

In addition to the above, this share of the GCC countries has been increasing over the period from 2005 to 2016, from a value of 22.98% in 2005 to 28.26% in 2016. This change especially refers to the rapid increase of the shares of KSA, UAE, and Oman, as shown in **Figure 5**.

In terms of progress, all GCC countries, including the smallest share countries present on the international market are progressing quite positively with increasing shares over the period 2005–2016. This is especially true for Kuwait and UAE. Oman and KSA, also have the same trend with market shares increasing respectively from 0.34 and 8.64% in 2005 to 1.13 and 12.70% in 2016.

During this period (2005–2016), the gap between GCC and its competitors on the international market is progressively narrowing, mainly with North African countries (Tunisia and Algeria), Iran, Pakistan and Israel. This might be due to the important increase in the demand for dates at the international level through expanding to new markets (Asia and Africa).

Although date trading share of GCC is increasing in the global market, they are still facing an important competition from the countries outlined above (Tunisia, Algeria, Iran, Pakistan, and Israel). To deal with this increasing competition, regional cooperation and partnerships among these countries should be reinforced, given that their challenges, constraints and problems on facing the global date market are similar, and interventions to address and resolve these complex and interrelated

#### **Figure 5.**

*Market share of GCC countries on the international date market: (a) Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar; (b) Oman, Saudi Arabia, and Emirates. Source: Own elaboration from FAOSTAT (2018).*

**19**

**Table 2.**

*Date Palm Value Chain Analysis and Marketing Opportunities for the Gulf Cooperation…*

challenges and problems are difficult for a single country to solve on its own. Thus, coordination between the different trade strategies of the GCC countries, through specialization, division of tasks, and strengthened coordination can generate important opportunities for gaining and sustaining their share on the world market

The data for this study have been collected through semi-structured questionnaires targeting the main actors in the date palm sector. Data were gathered for three countries: Saudi Arabia, Oman and Kuwait. **Table 2** illustrate the number of

The method used in this analysis is an assessment of the data gathered from two

Second, a participatory and consultative approach comprising multi-stakeholder

**Oman (number of interviewed stakeholders)**

09 18 —

10 47 —

**127 121 83**

**Kuwait (number of interviewed stakeholders)**

consultations and surveys implemented in three potential GCC countries: Saudi

Date palm growers 40 38 62 Date palm consumers 09 — 11 Date palm retailers 08 04 10

Date palm processors 08 — — Date palm transporters 08 14 —

Decision makers 07 — —

Date palm input providers 20 — —

*Source: Own elaboration form surveys implemented in the GCC countries (2017).*

*Nature and number of surveys conducted in each country.*

**of interviewed stakeholders)**

08

First, an exhaustive literature review from various types of documents, both published and unpublished, related to date palm value chain in the GCC countries. Documents includes scientific reports, books, journal articles, working papers, research reports, web-based publications (including national and international databases), workshop proceedings, national policy documents, programme frame-

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.82450*

**5.1 Data sources and data collection**

**5.2 Methodological framework**

**Nature of the survey KSA (number** 

different sources.

works, etc.

Date palm wholesale

Date palm importers (production inputs)

**Total interviewed stakeholders**

Researchers and extension

traders

staff

**5. Date value chain strategy in the GCC countries**

surveys conducted in each country mentioned above.

of dates.

*Date Palm Value Chain Analysis and Marketing Opportunities for the Gulf Cooperation… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.82450*

challenges and problems are difficult for a single country to solve on its own. Thus, coordination between the different trade strategies of the GCC countries, through specialization, division of tasks, and strengthened coordination can generate important opportunities for gaining and sustaining their share on the world market of dates.
