Ramadan 2025: Which countries grow the most dates?

Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Algeria produce nearly half of the world’s dates.

As the sun sets during the holy month of Ramadan, many Muslims break their fast with a sweet, brown dried fruit that has been cherished in the Middle East for centuries.

During the 29 or 30 days of Ramadan, observant and able-bodied Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking, and sexual relations from dawn to dusk, seeking to deepen their taqwa, or awareness of God.

Breaking one’s fast with dates and water is rooted in the religious teachings of the Prophet Muhammad and is specifically mentioned in the Quran for its nutritional value.

Dates, fresh or dried, contain important vitamins, minerals and fibre. They are also high in antioxidants.

Given their high level of fructose, a natural sugar found in fruit, dates are a great source of energy, especially after a long day’s fast.

There are many different varieties of dates, with different tastes and textures:

Medjool: Known for their large size, sweet taste, amber colour and richness in flavour.

Mabroom: Less sweet than other kinds of dates with an elongated shape, reddish-brown hue and chewiness.

Ajwa: With a soft, fleshy, almost juicy feel, and a very sweet taste, Ajwa dates are valued the most by Muslims because they are grown in Medina, Saudi Arabia.

Deglet Noor: Medium-sized, lighter in colour and ideal for cooking and baking.

Piarom: Darker skin, rich flavour, slightly drier and known for their unique taste.

Dates have been cultivated for thousands of years. Date palm trees can be either male or female, and only the female plants produce fruit.

A date palm tree can live for more than 100 years if well maintained and a mature date palm can produce more than 100kg (220 pounds) of dates per