Seikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai has paid a visit on Monday, April 27, 2026, to the world’s largest privately owned dates factory, located at Dubai Industrial City.
Spanning over 800,000 square feet, Al Barakah Dates Factory has an annual production capacity of 100,000 tonnes and is considered a global leader in date processing and packaging, with exports reaching 97 countries worldwide.
It was founded by businessman Salim Mohammed, who began his career in Dubai in 1983 in the food trading sector, before moving in the 1990s toward specialising in the trade and production of dates.
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During the visit, Sheikh Mohammed has stressed on UAE’s continuous efforts to strengthen its position as a global hub for advanced food industries through innovation, stronger production chains, and boosting the competitiveness of national products.
The dates industry is a successful example of turning the country’s agricultural heritage into a modern, high-value added sector that supports the economy and enhances food security
Dubai Ruler Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid
The Dubai Ruler listened to a briefing from the factory’s founder, businessman Salim Mohammed, and his son Yousef Salim Mohammed, the factory manager, on the production lines and the stages of manufacturing and packaging. He was also briefed on the factory’s diverse range of products, which include packaged dates, date syrup, date paste, and date powder.
The United States is the primary destination for exports of date paste and date syrup, both of which are used in a wide range of food industries, followed by the United Kingdom and European Union countries. Meanwhile, Bangladesh, India, and Indonesia top the list of key destinations for exports of packaged dates.
On Friday, Sheikh Mohammed announced the launch of the world’s largest charity-based dates factory to ‘fight hunger’, developed in collaboration with key partners. The groundbreaking initiative aims to produce 150 million date-fortified food units annually, dedicated to children suffering from malnutrition and to combating hunger in underprivileged communities.
Source: Khaleej Times