In a significant boost to Pakistan’s agricultural sector, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has agreed to set up three state-of-the-art date processing plants in the country as part of a new bilateral cooperation initiative.
The partnership, which will soon be formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), marks a new chapter in Pakistan-UAE collaboration focused on agricultural development and value-added exports.
According to officials, Federal Minister for National Food Security Rana Tanveer Hussain held extensive discussions with UAE representatives to finalize the project details. The main objective of the initiative is to promote value addition in Pakistan’s date industry — helping local producers process raw dates into premium-quality products that can fetch better prices in global markets.
The plants will be established in key date-producing regions of Sindh and Balochistan, which together account for the majority of Pakistan’s date cultivation. Equipped with modern technology, these facilities will handle cleaning, grading, packaging, and preservation of dates in line with international food safety and quality standards.
Pakistan currently produces more than 500,000 tonnes of dates annually, making it one of the top date-producing countries in the world. However, the country’s annual date exports of around $50 million remain relatively modest due to limited processing infrastructure — with most exports being in raw form.
Experts believe that with UAE’s investment and technical expertise, Pakistan can significantly boost the value of its exports. Processed and packaged dates generally earn far higher returns in international markets compared to unprocessed produce.
The UAE, recognized globally for its advanced date processing and marketing systems, will also help transfer critical technology and operational know-how to Pakistan.
Officials say the collaboration will not only enhance Pakistan’s agricultural competitiveness but also create new employment opportunities in rural areas of Sindh and Balochistan. Moreover, it will further strengthen the economic partnership between Pakistan and the UAE, which continues to expand across multiple sectors.
With this initiative, both countries aim to turn Pakistan’s natural date-growing potential into a sustainable, high-value export industry setting a new example of regional cooperation in agri-business and food technology.
