Date Carnival in Buraidah

The world's largest annual date carnival

Buraidah's date market has established itself as one of the most prestigious specialized markets in the world, as its history was documented by Arab and Western travelers who visited the Kingdom during its early founding stages. It has reached its current stage, where it aims to contribute to achieving the Kingdom's Vision 2030 by diversifying income sources and making it the world's leading date exporter, with sales exceeding 2 billion riyals annually. The traveler Charles Huber mentioned in his book (Journey in Central Arabia), which he wrote during the period between 1878 and 1882, 140 years ago: "Buraidah is a large commercial center, but it only experiences its peak prosperity during the four months following the date harvest. At this time, it is often seen outside Buraidah, with more than a thousand Bedouin tents, coming to stock up on dates, wheat, rice, and the few fabrics they need."

This carnival is distinguished as the largest in the world, with annual sales exceeding 3,200,000,000 Saudi Riyals. It features a variety of date types, with more than thirty different varieties on display. This market is located on King Abdulaziz Road, south of Buraidah.