The Saudi "International Dates Council" was elected to head the council for the first session for a period of two years, during the founding meeting held today in Al-Ahsa city in the Kingdom.

The Council also agreed to elect the UAE as a Vice-Chairman of the Council of Members for the first session for a period of two years, renewable once.

Saudi Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Abdul Rahman bin Abdulmohsen Al-Fadhli said that his country "relies, through this meeting, on the support of the international community and work on harmonizing work to coordinate efforts to address issues of concern to the palm and dates sector."

The Saudi Press Agency stated that the attendees reviewed during the meeting the council's strategy and five-year plan, issues and joint work, and activities that require joint action to meet the challenges facing the sector, and raise capabilities in order to achieve sustainable development of dates at the level of the countries concerned globally.

The meeting was attended by a number of agriculture ministers, representatives of countries producing and importing dates worldwide, in addition to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development, the Arab Center for Studies of Dry Areas and Dry Lands (ACSAD), and the National Center for Palms and Dates.

The International Dates Council currently includes: Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Palestine, Somalia, Oman, Yemen, Mauritania, Lebanon, Sudan and Tunisia. Bahrain, along with the approval of Jordan and Libya.