Bateel International

Savour the taste of tradition with Bateel. Rooted in Arabian culture and hospitality since 1936, Bateel enjoys an unparalleled legacy as the world’s only gourmet date grower, producer and seller. Our organic date farms are nestled in a fertile oasis, in the Al Ghat region of Saudi Arabia, north of the capital Riyadh. Here, by the historic green valleys of the Tuwayq Mountains, over 100,000 date palm trees grow, basking in the temperate climate and naturally flowing sweet water for irrigation. This unique terroir lends to the inimitable taste of every Bateel date. Using the best farming practices, Bateel’s cultivation techniques are kept as close to nature as possible. Date palm trees can live as long as a century and produce up to 150 kilograms of fruit each year. The species are dioecious – meaning there are males and females – and pollination is dependent on human assistance. Bateel painstakingly places branchlets of male white flowers amongst female blossoms in a process that requires constant care and attention. Only female trees produce fruit and, once pollinated, the tree begins to produce fruit after six years. Branches of our date palms are regularly thinned, even if it means cutting away 50 percent of the fruit. The thinning process ensures optimum air circulation and space, so the remaining fruits grow to their best potential. As they begin to ripen, maturing dates are enveloped in well-ventilated cloth to deter birds and insects, which also helps avoid the use of pesticides. Each year Bateel harvests more than 2,800 tonnes of the highest quality, organic dates. However, it’s a complex process, as every date is hand-picked. Staying true to tradition, agile farmers climb great heights – often up to 20 metres – without the aid of modern machinery or equipment. They have to return to the same tree several times over the course of the season in order to pick each date at the perfect time. As soon as the dates are harvested by hand in Saudi Arabia, they are immediately stored to halt further ripening and lock in flavours. The fruit is then cleaned using state-of-the-art technologies, before being assessed and graded to match stringent standards for size, colour, translucency and skin condition. This ensures quality and consistency, and it’s why every Bateel date looks as you’d expect: the best of the best. The dates are then transported to our world-class production facility in Dubai, where a team of dedicated artisans prepare and stuff dates with premium nuts, candied fruits and chocolate. The fruit is incredibly delicate, so it’s a highly-skilled craft that’s still done entirely by hand.