Egyptian Dates Supplier Guide: Varieties, Harvest and Export Markets

An importer looking for an Egyptian dates supplier is dealing with the world's largest producer. According to FAO data, Egypt produced 1.87 million tons of dates in 2023, ahead of Saudi Arabia, Algeria and Iran¹, and the 2026 crop is estimated at 2.1 million tons³. Yet Egypt was only the seventh-largest exporter in 2024⁵. That gap between production and exports is the main opportunity, and the main risk, for buyers. Supply is large and often competitively priced, but export-ready quality, grading and packing are concentrated in a smaller group of companies. This guide explains the varieties, the harvest calendar, current markets and how to qualify a supplier.

Egypt's date sector in numbers

The production-export gap has a simple cause. Most Egyptian dates are soft varieties eaten fresh at home, and semi-dry varieties, which are in high international demand, make up only about 20% of production⁴. Date exports were worth about $90 million a year, around 1% of Egypt's agricultural exports, when the FAO and the sector set targets of $250 million within five years and $500 million within ten⁴.

Investment is moving in that direction. Recent upgrades include the rehabilitation of the Siwa Oasis date factory, the renovation of a complex in El-Kharga and a cold store in the Western Desert with 4,000 tons of capacity². Specialised date industrial complexes are planned in Sadat City, Borg El Arab, 10th of Ramadan City and 6th of October City². The official focus is on export-oriented, higher-value varieties and better sorting, grading and packaging².

Varieties buyers ask for

For the 2026 campaign, the export trade is concentrating on Barhi, Medjool, Siwy (Siwi), Saeedy, Bartamoda and Sakoti³. Medjool, Sukkary, Khalas and Ajwa are also named as premium varieties in Egypt's export strategy⁴.

• Siwi and Saeedy (semi-dry): Egypt's traditional export dates, produced in the Western Desert oases and Upper Egypt. They are mainly shipped to Far Eastern markets³ and are widely used for paste, baking and repacking.
• Medjool (soft, large): a newer, fast-growing plantation crop aimed at premium retail in Europe, Turkey, China and Russia³.
• Barhi: sold fresh at the yellow (khalal) stage and later as soft ripe fruit. Egyptian Barhi becomes available from late summer³.
• Bartamoda and Sakoti (dry): Nubian dry dates from southern Egypt, suitable for long storage and markets that prefer firm fruit.

Siwa Oasis deserves a special mention. Its traditional date system was designated a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System by FAO in 2016⁶. The oasis has about 280,000 date palms producing around 25,000 tons a year, roughly 2% of national output⁶. Siwa dates are a niche story for buyers in the organic and origin-branded segment rather than a volume source.

Harvest and shipping calendar

Plan Ramadan programmes early. Demand in Muslim-majority markets peaks before Ramadan, and buyers who confirm specifications and volumes at harvest secure better grades.

Where Egyptian dates go

Morocco is Egypt's largest market by far. In the 2024/25 season Egypt shipped nearly 39,100 tons worth $47.6 million to Morocco, 7% more than the previous season and three times the 2021/22 level⁵. Morocco takes more than 40% of Egypt's date export volume, and Egypt's share of Moroccan date imports rose to 31%⁵. Egypt is also expanding in Indonesia and Turkey⁵, and earlier reporting listed Morocco, Indonesia, Turkey and Russia as leading importers⁴.

That concentration is a risk. For the 2026 season, the sector expects African sales to stay marginal because of Moroccan restrictions on date imports³. Exporters are therefore looking harder at the Far East for Siwi and Saeedy, and at Europe, Turkey, China and Russia for Medjool³. For buyers in these markets, this can mean more supplier interest and room to negotiate.

Supplier checklist for dates

Date quality depends heavily on post-harvest handling. Before you contract, check:

1. Variety and grade: the exact variety, moisture level, size grade (count per kg or per 500 g), colour uniformity and maximum defects (insect damage, sugaring, skin separation).
2. Fumigation and pest control: the method used against storage pests and whether it is accepted in your market.
3. Food safety certification: HACCP, ISO 22000 or a GFSI-recognised scheme at the packing plant, and organic certification if you are buying Siwa or other organic dates.
4. Residues and contaminants: a recent lab report covering pesticide residues and, for processed formats, microbiology.
5. Cold storage: whether the supplier controls cold storage, which decides quality for shipments months after harvest.
6. Packaging options: bulk cartons for repacking, retail packs, pitted dates and paste, with the shelf-life claims for each.
7. Export registration and documents: export registration, certificate of origin and phytosanitary certificate. Check whether your country's trade agreement with Egypt reduces duties.

For the full buying process, from quotation to customs, see our buyer's guide to importing from Egypt. If you are sourcing halal-certified products for the Gulf or Asia, our guide to halal food from Egypt explains certification.

How Egypt Rise helps buyers source dates

Egypt Rise is a free, bilingual B2B platform where Egyptian farms, packhouses and food producers publish export catalogues with HS codes, minimum order quantities, capacity, certificates and accepted Incoterms. Buyers contact suppliers directly, with no commission.

• Search the product catalogue for dates (HS 0804.10) and compare varieties, formats and certificates.
• Browse farms and packhouses and cold stores in date-growing governorates such as New Valley, Matrouh (Siwa) and Aswan.
• Use the governorates guide to understand where each variety is grown.

Listings are supplier-declared. Verify certificates and test results independently before ordering.

Frequently asked questions

Is Egypt the largest date producer in the world?

Yes. FAO data show Egypt produced 1.87 million tons in 2023, the highest of any country, ahead of Saudi Arabia (1.64 million tons)¹.

Why does Egypt export so few dates?

Most of the crop is soft dates for domestic consumption. Semi-dry varieties suited to export make up only about 20% of production, and only about 2% of output is exported⁴.

When are Egyptian dates harvested?

Harvest starts in early August for most varieties, with Medjool from mid-September³. Dried and semi-dry dates are shipped from cold storage through the following months⁵.

Which Egyptian date varieties are exported?

The 2026 export campaign focuses on Barhi, Medjool, Siwi, Saeedy, Bartamoda and Sakoti³.

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This article is general information for buyers, not legal or regulatory advice. Market rules, import restrictions and certification requirements change; always check the current requirements with the official authorities before contracting.