Dates fair draws ‘highest turnout in years’ ahead of Ramadan — organisers

AMMAN — The 12th Dates Exhibition which aims at promoting the Jordanian “Medjoul” nationally has witnessed the highest turnout since years, ahead of Ramadan, organisers said on Monday.

This year’s trade fair, which is taking place at the Professional Associations Complex, was “the most successful one so far with around 8,000 people visiting the location since its opening on Saturday,” said Nihad Eliemi, vice president of the agriculture engineers syndicate, which organises the annual event in cooperation with the Jordan Dates Association (JODA).

Known as “Medjoul”, the Jordanian dates or “King of Dates” is a popular type of dates famous for their high quality and sweet taste, JODA secretary Firas Jeneidi told The Jordan Times. 

Medjoul has an international price that stands at $60 for 5 kilogrammes for the first class quality, according to Jeneidi who added that there are around 35,000 donums of land planted with palm trees in Jordan and the number “is growing due to the high demand on the market”. 

The Jordanian climate and the plantation process have resulted in a high quality product that competes with other types of dates planted all over the world, the JODA official said. 

Dates fruit is a primary component of the Jordanian cuisine during the holy month of Ramadan as it reduces the feelings of hunger and thirst, Fatheia Salah, a seller at Sand Rose’s company, said. 

Along with the Mejdoul, homemade foods such as garlic and apple vinegar, dairy products, desserts, pastries and pickles as well as handicrafts products are exhibited at the fair. “The fair is a marketing platform for agricultural engineers who failed to find jobs but are making a living from their homemade products,” Eleimi noted. 

Asma Weshah, who showcased her dairy products and pickles, said that the exhibition is “very profitable” due to the huge number of visitors. 

Such exhibitions save time for shoppers, since they offer a variety of products with competitive prices, Amal Malaheem, a visitor shopping ahead of Ramadan, told The Jordan Times.